Title: The Impact Of Student Attitudes on Academic Performance In Examinations: A Comparative Study Across Disciplines
Authors: Inioluwa Racheal Ogungbemi , Samson Remi Ajiboye
Volume: 9
Issue: 10
Pages: 285-291
Publication Date: 2025/10/28
Abstract:
This paper examines the 'attitude behaviour' gap amongst students of various disciplines by exploring how student attitudes are related to examination performance. The study used a survey research design and included HND II students from four departments at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos state: Business Administration (BA), Marketing (MKT), Office Management and Technology (OTM), and Mass Communication (MC). The students were from the 2024/2025 academic year. We selected 100 students (25 per department) to participate in a study centered on communication, commercial, and ethical behaviors using an instrument based on the Likert scale. Results?-The findings suggest that the role of attitudinal factors relating to examination performance differs significantly by department. The highest support for communication attitudes was shown by students in the Mass Communication department (mean MPC score =5.0). The Office Management and Technology students had the highest average score of 4.5 for supporting ethical attitudes. The research indicated that communication attitudes exerted the greatest influence on performance, followed by commercial and ethical attitudes. Statistical analysis employing measures of central tendency, percentage distribution, and t-tests indicated significant differences between groups regarding the impact of attitude on performance. Significant differences were observed between the Mass Communication and Business Administration departments (t-calculated = 0.95, p < 0.05) and between the Marketing and Office Management and Technology departments (t-calculated = 3.03, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the frequency and importance of different attitudes on student performance are influenced by the disciplinary context. The study emphasizes the necessity of discipline-specific strategies to help students perform better on tests and calls for customized interventions to foster positive attitudes, particularly in communication and business. Significant differences were observed between the Mass Communication and Business Administration departments (t-calculated = 0.95, p < 0.05) and between the Marketing and Office Management and Technology departments (t-calculated = 3.03, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the frequency and importance of different attitudes on student performance are influenced by the disciplinary context. The study emphasizes the necessity of discipline-specific strategies to help students perform better on tests and calls for customized interventions to foster positive attitudes, particularly in communication and business.