Resident Student Perceptions of On-Campus Living and Study Environments at the University of Namibia and their Relation to Academic Performance

Neema, Isak

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Resident Student Perceptions of On-Campus Living and Study Environments at the University of Namibia and their Relation to Academic Performance

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This study measures resident student perceptions of onâ€“campus living and study environments at the University of Namibia campus residence and their relation to student academic performance. Data were obtained from a stratified random sample of resident students with hostels (individual dormitory) as strata. Student academic performance was measured by grade point average obtained from the university registrar. Student perceptions of living and study environments were obtained from a survey. Inferences were made from the sample to the population concerning: student perceptions of the adequacy of the library and campus safety, and differences in perceptions between students living in old-style and new-style hostels. To relate student perceptions to academic performance, a model regressing GPA on student perception variables was constructed. The principal findings of the analyses were that (1) Student perceptions do not differ between old and new hostels; (2) There is an association between time spent in the hostel and the type of room, ability to study in room during the day and the type of room, ability to study in room at night and the type of room, time spent in hostel and number of times student change blocks, ability to study in room at night and availability of study desk in room, ability to study in room at night and availability of study lamp in room, effectiveness of UNAM security personnel and safety studying at classes at night and also between effectiveness of UNAM security personnel and student perception on whether security on campus should remain unchanged respectively; (3) Mean GPA differs with respect to the type of room, ability to study in room during the day, time spent in hostel, number of times student change blocks, current year of study, time spent on study, students who are self-catering, sufficiency of water supply in blocks and also with students who are enrolled in Law and B.Commerce field of study and with students receiving financial support in the form of loans. (4) The variables found to be significant in the regression model were Law field of study, double rooms, inability to study in room during the day and self-catering respectively.

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