Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Business Management Students in Malaysia and Indonesia during COVID-19

Abstract

Due to the widespread COVID-19, many educational institutions were closed, and students were advised to stay at home with only brief personal excursions outside. Globally, the closure of educational institutions around the world has recorded US $ 10 trillion (RM41 trillion) of lost revenue in just four months of closure. For higher education institutions, the approach of distance education or Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is seen as very significant in current higher education. However, the change from face-to-face classes to virtual classes and the cancellation and replacement of assessments have affected students’ academic performance. To address the significance of online teaching in such emergency cases, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on the academic performance of Malaysian and Indonesian students. The quantitative data were collected from 700 undergraduate business students through an online survey. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected quantitative data. The study found that both teaching methods and self-motivation have a positive relationship with students’ academic performance in Malaysia and Indonesia, while course assessment has a positive relationship with students’ academic performance in Malaysia. Lastly, class attendance did not influence students’ academic performance in both countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.