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ORIGINAL RESEARCH |
https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10084-13156
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Assess the Study Habits and Academic Performance of the Nursing Students
1,3Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, SRM Trichy College of Nursing, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
2Department of Community Health Nursing, SRM Trichy College of Nursing, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Corresponding Author: Kulandairaj Edvina Princy, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, SRM Trichy College of Nursing, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, Phone: +91 9952175480, e-mail: ephzina@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Princy KE, Suresh S, Arulmani PH. Assess the Study Habits and Academic Performance of the Nursing Students. Pon J Nurs 2023;16(2):34–37.
Source of support: Nil
Conflict of interest: None
Received on: 05 January 2023; Accepted on: 10 March 2023; Published on: 28 June 2023
ABSTRACT
Background of the study: Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector on the care of individuals, families, and communities, so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nursing syllabus also was very difficult to study. Study habit is an action such as reading, taking notes, and holding study groups which the students perform regularly and habitually in order to accomplish the task of learning. Academic performance is to evaluate the students’ achievement across various academic subjects. Faculty and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation rates, and results from standardized tests. So, the students’ academic performance depends on their study habits.
Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted to assess the study habits and academic performance of final year nursing students. Data were collected by administering semistructured questionnaire that consists of sociodemographic variable to assess the study habits, semistructured questions with 5-point Likert scale. To assess academic performance, their internal assessment test results were taken. Analysis of data was done by using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Among 30 students, 10 (33.3%) of them had good, 14 (46.6%) had average, and 4 (20.1%) had poor study habits. The result showed that majority of them 20 (66.67%) got first class.
Conclusion: This present study concluded that most of the students had average and good study habits whose academic performance was also good and got first class in academic performance. It encourages us to do nursing interventions to improve slow learners’ academic performance by practicing good study habits.
Keywords: Academic performance, Nursing students, Study habits.
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education is essential for providing skilled job that drives economic growth and addresses a community’s pressing issues. Additionally, students must dedicate a significant amount of their time to their studies in order to graduate with high academic standing. A growing number of students commit readmission, indicating that they did not perform well in their academics, and the trend of graduating students is not equal to the growth of enrolled students.1 Since 1990, one of the professions with the fastest growth is nursing. Due to its promising pay and chances for international employment, nursing as a profession has grown in popularity today. There are several educational paths one might take to become a licensed nurse.2 The number one predictor of academic performance is study habits, and studies conducted around the world have shown that study habits have an impact on academic performance.3 Recent research regarding the significance of study habits in enhancing students’ academic achievement has made study habits a significant aspect of a student’s life. Excellent study habits are important for academic success. To encourage students to develop excellent study habits, it is crucial to create engaging, welcoming, and comfortable spaces for them.4 Study and reading techniques are keys to a student’s academic success. Academic success of pupils and their study habits are directly related. Students wouldn’t be able to perform well on tests and exams without good study and reading habits.4
Study habits are referred as a person’s regular conduct or habitual activities in order to properly study and learn. Study habits aid students in understanding their coursework and in creating a comfortable and engaging learning environment. A student should develop strong study habits since they will advance their knowledge and abilities in the classroom. Some students may not have good study habits that annoy them and cause them to have learning difficulties.5 An important aspect of learning is developing effective study habits. Maintaining a regular schedule and treating each subject equally are essential components of good study habits. Students must take a “study skills” course or ask someone to show the effective study techniques when they are lacking study habits. Work ethic and effective study techniques are qualities that should be fostered. Of course, motivation and study habits are equally important. For all students to protect their time and to fulfil their educational objectives, good habits are much important. When study habits are permanently changed as a result of that event, which will benefit students’ lifetime preparation once they begin teaching. Class attendance, time management, and excellent study habits should all be top concerns if student wants to succeed academically.6
Need for the Study
Student achievement in a variety of academic subjects is measured by academic performance. Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation rates, and results from standardized tests.7 In recent decades, university education has been rapidly changing from instructor-centered education to learner-centered education, and teaching-learning methods are being actively enhanced to respect and satisfy learners’ educational needs. Accordingly, nursing education also requires a good study habit that will enable nursing students to actively seek out the various nursing problems that arise in actual clinical practice. This teaching-learning method should be based on nursing student-centered participation, induction, and motivation, and it will help nursing students prepare for self-directed learning like having good study habits. Moreover, actual practice in good study habits can be planned by the students themselves to boost their academic progress.8
Further, as researcher worked in the teaching, she was interested to know the study habits and academic performance of nursing students with the purpose of developing some interventions by improving good study habits to achieve excellent academic performance among nursing students.
Problem Statement
A study to assess the study habits and academic performance of the nursing students in selected nursing college in Trichy.
Objectives
The objectives of this study are as follows:
To assess the study habits among final year nursing students
To assess the academic performance among final year nursing students
To find the correlation between study habits and academic performance
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research approach: Quantitative approach
Research design: Descriptive study
Setting: SRM Trichy College of Nursing, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India
Population: BSc (Nursing) students studying at the SRM Trichy College of Nursing.
Sample: IV year BSc Nursing Students. Among 39 students, 30 were included who met all inclusion criteria.
Criteria for Sample Selection
The inclusion criteria include the following:
Students willing to participate in the study
Students present during data collection
The exclusion criteria include the following:
Students who are sick at the time of data collection
Students who are absent
Sample size: 30 samples
Sampling technique: Nonprobability purposive sampling technique
DATA COLLECTION TOOL
The instrument consisted of three parts: Parts 1, 2, and 3.
Part 1
It consisted of semistructured questionnaire to assess the demographic variables such as religion, education qualification of father, preferred time for study, number of hours spent for studying, and preferred method of learning.
Part 2
It consisted of rating scale to assess the study habits among nursing students. A total of 20 items were included in the tool. The scale legend was never, not often, sometimes, fairly, and always. The scoring was as follows:
Never: 1
Not often: 2
Sometimes: 3
Fairly: 4
Always: 5
The total score was 100. The score was converted to percentage and interpreted as follows:
0–50%: Poor study habits
51–75%: Average study habits
76–100%: Good study habits
Part 3
For academic performance, students’ total test marks were aggregated. The marks were cumulated from the students 3-year university exams and one internal test mark from fourth year. The students’ university examination score for 3 years was 2200 and the fourth year internal assessment mark was 150. The total score was 2350. The students’ marks were converted into percentage and interpreted as follows:
Below 50%: Fail
51–65%: First class
66–80%: Second class
81–100%: Distinction
VALIDITY
The validity of the tool was established after consultation with experts in the field of nursing. The content validity of the tool was done by five nursing experts. Based on suggestions given by the experts on various items in the questionnaire, corrections were made and the tool was modified.
RELIABILITY
The reliability of the tool was determined by assessing the quality and adequacy of the tool using test–retest method. The reliability was r = 0.82. Hence, the tool was found to be statistically reliable to carry out the study.
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
The study was conducted in the SRM Trichy College of Nursing. The prior permission was obtained from the head of institution to collect the data from the samples. The self-introduction and the purpose of the study were explained to the participants and established rapport with the samples. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data from the samples. It took approximately 20 minutes to collect the data from the sample.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The first objective of the study was to assess the study habits among the final year nursing students. The data analysis showed that 10 (33%) of the students had good study habits, 47% had average study habits, and 20% of them had poor study habits (Fig. 1). This objective was supported by Moghadam MF and Cheraghiyan B conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the study habits and their relationship with academic performance among 150 nursing students in Abadan. The result showed that the students 11.3 had unsatisfactory study habits, 80.7% had moderately satisfactory and 8% satisfactory study habits.9
Fig. 1: The distribution of overall level of study habits
The second objective of the study was to assess the academic performance among the final year nursing students. The result revealed that, among 30 students, 6 (20%) students’ academic performance was distinction, 20 (66.67%) students’ academic performance was first class, and 4 (13.33%) students’ academic per-formance was second class. The result was similar with a descriptive study conducted by Reghuram et al. to assess the study habits, scholastic performance among nursing students in Trivandrum. The result revealed that 59.7% have average scholastic performance.10
The third objective of the study was to find the correlation between study habits and academic performance. The result showed that there is a (r = 0.918) highly positive correlation found. When the students’ study habits are good, their academic performance was also excellent. This result was supported by Jafari et al. conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the relationship between study habits and academic achievement in students of medical sciences in Kermanshah, Iran. The result showed that the direct and significant correlation between study habits and academic performance.3
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations can be considered:
A similar study can be conducted on larger samples to generalize the results.
A comparative study can be conducted to assess the study habits and academic performance among UG and PG students.
A comparative study can be conducted to assess the study habits and academic performance among nursing and non-nursing students.
The study can be done as an interventional and experimental study in the future.
CONCLUSION
The present study was aimed to assess study habits and academic performance among BSc nursing fourth-year students. The study concluded that those students, who have good study habits, could perform well in their academics. As an eye-opener the researcher conducted this study to bring about some interventions to improve the students’ good study habits so that it may bring out excellent results.
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