Gender and Type of Residence as Determinants of Undergraduates' Academic Performance

Abstract

Providing accommodation for undergraduates posses an important problem to university administration in Sri Lanka. While students expect the university to provide accommodation for all, universities find it difficult to provide accommodation facilities to all undergraduates inside the university during their study period. This leads some students to stay in privately provided accommodation (boarding places) or in their own home during the university life. Finding out the effect of type of residence on academic performance would help university administration to plan facilities improvements. University of Kelaniya, situated in the grater Colombo area can be considered as representing the situation in Sri Lanka. This study was conducted with the objective of identifying the relationship between the type of residence and Gender of students' on their academic performance. Data for the study were gathered from 180 third year accounting undergraduates using a structured questionnaire and from academic records. Multiple regression, variance analysis and cross tabulation were used to analyze the data; Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGP A) at the end of second year was used as dependent variable and· type of residence (hostel, boarding place or own home) and gender were identified as independent variables. Findings revealed that type of residence and gender had a significant effect on students' academic performance. Females perform better than males. Forty seven percent of students were staying in university managed residential facilities during the second year of their studies. Fifty two percent of these students showed poor academic performances. Twenty nine and twenty four percent of students were staying at boarding places and at their own homes respectively. Percentage of students' reporting poor performances while staying at boarding houses was thirty two percent while thirty percent of students staying at own homes showed poor performances. This study concludes that the type of residence has a significant effect on undergraduates' academic performance and students who reside with their parents perform better.