FACTORS DETERMINING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF JAFFNA

Abstract

Education plays a vital role in shaping individuals and developing nations, with academic performance being a key measure of student success in higher education institutions. This study investigates factors determining the academic performance of undergraduate students at the University of Jaffna. The context-specific research is limited. While existing literature has explored the positive and negative impacts of these independent variables. But there is no adequate recent research in this area. This study employed a quantitative approach. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 120 undergraduate students at the University of Jaffna through both online and paper-based questionnaires using a convenience sampling method. The collected data is analyzed using correlation analysis through SPSS to examine the relationship. The results revealed that language proficiency, regular attendance, and positive family background had a significant positive relationship with academic performance, while social media addiction may show a negative impact. This research seeks to provide valuable insights for students, lecturers, academic advisors, and policymakers. Practically, the findings will help students to become more aware of the challenges they face and how to address them effectively. The findings of this study may not be fully generalizable to the broader population of undergraduate students due to the use of convenience sampling.