Determinants of Academic Performance in Ghanaian Polytechnics

Abstract

The study aimed at using panel data on student test scores to determine the factors influencing academic performance. Data on grade point averages (GPA), demographic and socio-economic features from 131 Female and 271 Male students was obtained from the Examinations Unit and the Student Affairs Unit of Bolgatanga Polytechnic. The Generalised Linear Model (GLM) was employed to study the effect of determinants on the differences among students’ academic performances. The results revealed significant contribution of the predictors to the explanatory power of the mean GPA scores with the exception of semester 3 and the Department of Civil Engineering. Thus the performance of students in the Polytechnics improves with decreasing age and decreasing number of credit hours registered in a given semester. Though students admitted on the basis of a decisive factor and through the Matured Entrance Examinations negatively affected students’ academic performance, departmental affiliation has a positive impact on the performance of students academically.

Keywords: Academic performance, GPA, Determinants, Ghana, Generalized linear model