STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND ACADEMIC FOCUS 1

Students’ Challenges and Academic Focus

Student’s Name

Institution

Course

Date
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Abstract

Students who join colleges do encounter various challenges due to the environment that

they find themselves in. As a result, the students might be overwhelmed by the challenges and

find it hard to be persistent with their initial academic focus. This study was carried out to find

the answer to the question on what is the relationship between student challenges and academic

focus. This study hypothesizes that students are likely to lose academic focus due to the

challenges that they face in colleges. The findings have shown how various challenges affect the

academic focus of students as well as providing the scope of how different challenges affect

students in different ways. This study should serve as an informer to students, parents and

instructors to take the necessary measures so as to overcome challenges that might negatively

affect student's academic focus.

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Introduction

The feeling of joining a college or a university is very enjoyable and stimulating. You get

to learn about the subject matter that you choose and interests you and also have the opportunity

to pursue it with the assistance of great researchers and experts in that field. However there are

challenges that are faced by students who are new. These challenges can be demanding for one is

expected to manage their workload, beat strict deadlines of completing assignments and take full

responsibility for their learning and learning materials. This asks for dedication and self-

motivation. Students are supposed to learn how to study independently, understand complex

assessments, change and adapt to new teaching ways and methods of learning, be familiar with

the grading structure as well as finding most time to be with the tutors. This study is critical

because it will help us identify the relationship between student challenges and academic focus.

The research is crucial because it also relates to a widespread problem in the society that is faced

by students. This study has the implications for explaining this problem of the effects of the

student's challenges on their focus on academics. The study is a platform to explore and explain

the problem in detail for better understanding. In this study different concepts were put into

consideration so as to break the points down into classified information.

Definition of Research Concepts

Gender- It is a factor considered in determining the challenges that students face putting

in mind that challenges vary concerning being male or female. Race-It represents the

backgrounds of students who may lack focus due to discrimination or other challenges related to

it. An academic aspiration-This variable represents the dreams and goals that a student might

have. Motivation-This shows the counsel and advice that a student might be receiving so as to
STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND ACADEMIC FOCUS 4

keep them focused on their studies. Socioeconomic status- This is the level of affluence that a

student might be in that plays a significant role in making them afford college. College choice-

This is a factor to consider for the choice of college can negatively or positively affect the

academic focus of a student in the long run. Student challenges-These are the hardships that

students encounter in their studies.

The question guiding this research is what is the relationship between student challenges and

academic focus?

Literature Review

Previous research studies have proven that the challenges that students pass through

affect their academic focus in one way or the other. Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T. Terenzini

conducted a research on how college affects students using the sociological perspective of

Functionalism (Weidman, Pascarella & Terenzini, 1992). The study shows how college life and

experiences are a determinant of the progress and success of a student. Another research that was

based on the functionalism perspective is the study on academic self-efficacy by Martin M.

Chemers, Li-Tze Hu, and Ben F. Garcia. These researchers established the interdependence of

the performance and adjustment of a first-year College student and their academic self-efficacy

(Chemers, Hu & Garcia, 2001). The study was based on how mentoring and motivation fosters

academic success especially to the undergraduate. In that research, Maryann Jacobi emphasizes

on the strain theory by describing how motivators and mentors can influence students (Jacobi,

1991). These previous studies are related to the question that we are trying to answer in this

research and are also sharing the same ideology with the topic. The studies have facilitated the

provision of crucial information on some of the challenges that students pass through in colleges
STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND ACADEMIC FOCUS 5

and the relationship that those challenges may have on the academic focus, performance, and

results of every student (Odera, 2011).

These previous studies have provided findings that academic focus can be adversely

affected by the challenges that students encounter. The findings state that some of the students’

challenges such as lack of motivation, financial aid, and the intensity of studies may be a factor

that impacts on their focus on education and how they perform. The studies show that there is a

low number of enrollments and persistence especially in low-income students which is an

indication that a lot of students are not meeting their targets of pursuing higher education and

thus putting focus on other duties and responsibilities ("Challenges Of Social Exclusion In

College-Level Students", 2015). This proves that if most of the students' challenges can be dealt

with, there would be academic seriousness and hope in most students. The previous theories have

elaborated the various challenges that students passed through and gave out the recommended

measures that can be put in place so as to deal with them. These challenges included transition

issues from one level of education to the other, academics, life in the college where they might

find it exciting or boring, relationships due to the introduction of new friends and leaving the old

friends behind, and home and family issues where students acquire attitudes from (Balon, 2008).

The background of a student, the environment in which they grow up, and the college

they attend makes the difference in their chances of obtaining a degree or any other post-

secondary credential. The experiences that the student passes through are related to how the

student will perceive education (Triventi, 2014). The quality of high school preparation is a key

factor to consider in predicting the chances of students having focus academically. The education

background of the family as a whole is also another key determinant of the student's aspirations

and persistence in academics. The inability to afford college hinder efforts of prior preparations
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in academics, enrollment, admission, and completion of a degree hence the lack of focus if this

challenge persists (Alanzi, 2015). The pattern of enrollment either full time or part time, 2-year

institution or 4-year institution period that a student may take influences the longtime focus on

the success of a student academically. Students face all of these numerous challenges some of

which can be as a result of the activities and actions that they involve themselves in as well as

the practices and programs provided by the learning institutions for their enrichment. The

variables of concern are gender, race, academic aspirations, motivation, socioeconomic status,

and college choice (Davies, Rutledge & Davies, 1995).

Students are likely to lose academic focus due to the challenges that they face in colleges.

Methods

In answering the research question on whether there is a relationship between student

challenges and academic focus the hypothesis is that students are likely to lose academic focus

due to the challenges that they face in colleges. In this study, raw and reliable data was gathered

directly from the students who have been or are being enrolled in a college or university. Data

was also gathered from parents who have gone to college or are having sons and daughters in

college or university. Data was also collected from instructors in colleges and universities. The

most effective method that was used in the study is interviewing where credible results were

gathered. Another procedure that was used in the research is the surveying method which

actually involved collecting responses from the students and Instructors through a written

questionnaire.

Variables
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Gender is a factor considered in determining the challenges that students face putting in

mind that challenges vary concerning being male or female. Race represents the backgrounds of

students who may lack focus due to discrimination or other challenges related to it. An academic

aspiration is termed as a variable that represents the dreams and goals that a student might have.

Motivation shows the counsel and advice that a student might be receiving so as to keep them

focused on their studies. The level of affluence that a student might be in, play a significant role

in making them afford college is what is termed as socioeconomic. College choice-This is a

factor to consider for the choice of college can negatively or positively affect the academic focus

of a student in the long run. Student challenges-These are the hardships that students encounter

in their studies.

These variables were operational in data collection whereby they were to be acquired from the

interviewees.

Each variable was known at the end of the interview or filling in the questionnaire.

Gender was ticked either as male or female in a specific box. The race was to be filled in at the

last part of the questionnaire. On academic aspirations, the question was number 5 of the

questionnaire, and it asked; what are/were your academic aspirations (if any)? The question on

motivation was number 7 asking; are/were you motivated throughout your studies? How did that

impact your academic life? On socioeconomic status, question number 10 asked; did you

encounter hardships due to your socioeconomic status? The variable on College choice was

acquired as the answer to number 6 which asked; what inspired your college choice and were

there any regrets after that? On student challenges question 9 asked; what are the challenges that

you encountered and made you lose/almost lose academic focus? All the answers were recorded

on the questionnaires.
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The statistical analysis that was used so as to test the hypothesis was regression analysis

where the relationship between student challenges and academic focus was estimated. This

analysis helped in finding out how the typical value of the academic focus changes when one of

the student challenges is varied as the other challenges are held fixed. This analysis was the most

suitable because it included various techniques for analyzing and modeling several variables and

their relationship.

Findings

Data was collected and carefully analyzed hence the following findings. The study found

out that student challenges affect their aspirations and academic focus. It was noted that most

challenges were indirect as well as conditional affecting some students more than others.

Previous academic preparations in pre-college also motivated the students who were enrolled in

good grades for they were less likely to drop out of college hence increasing the chance of

successful completion. The findings have shown that student's challenges are affecting men more

than women. It is also evident that white students are facing fewer challenges compared to

students of color. The students who are facing most challenges in the colleges are the first year

students due to the change in most of the practices and interactions. Students with disabilities

happen to be mostly affected in their studies and a significant number of them has either dropped

out of school or performed poorly only because of lack of assistance and consideration (Ward,

2013). Other challenges such as institutions that compress their grades may be discouraging

aspects that may see the academic focus of a student deteriorate. This study shows that there is a

significant relationship between student challenges and academic focus. Race was considered a

challenge to most students of color.

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Comparison between expected results and the study.

Variable Expected Explanation Results of

Relationship study

Gender It was assumed that

Positive gender couldn’t affect Negative

academic focus.

Race Race was considered

Negative a challenge to most Negative

students of color.

Academic aspirations Aspirations were

Positive assumed to boost and Positive

guide focus.

Motivation Motivation helps

Positive overcome challenges. Positive

Socioeconomic It is assumed that

Status Negative affluence gives more Negative

facilities to learn.

College choice Choosing the

Positive desirable college Negative

makes one to feel at

home.
STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND ACADEMIC FOCUS 10

Student’s Hardships are

Challenges Negative discouraging to Negative

students.

Conclusion

This study was conducted to quantify the relationship between the different student

challenges that are considered responsible for affecting the academic focus along with providing

ground for future research regarding student's challenges and academic focus. These

combinations of variables have some reason because the research has shown that male students

are losing their academic focus more due to challenges that they are facing compared to female

students. It was assumed that gender was not a factor to consider as students’ challenges, but that

proved otherwise. Socioeconomic status also has adverse effects. Students from low-

socioeconomic status families are less likely be experienced in a way that would develop their

developmental skills. Lack of access to learning materials such as computers, are challenges that

those students face. Social class has proved to be an important factor in influencing career

trajectory, aspirations and achievement. Motivation can rejuvenate students’ goals and direct

them towards particular aspirations. Motivation is positive because it increases the energy and

effort that learners expend in their goals and needs. This variable affects the cognitive processes

making the learner to pay more attention and begin a certain task that they may want to do.

College choice has proven to have an adverse effect on most beginners for they might have paid

much attention to the co-curricular activities of the colleges without considering the academic

reputation and performance as well. This has left many students discouraged hence losing their

academic focus and prioritizing other activities. All these are points that matter to student's
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challenges and academic focus. As with most of the matters that are usually complicated in a

volatile and dynamic environment, additional research is needed to understand various aspects in

the studies and goals of a student before and during college so as to come up with a

comprehensive theory of student's academic focus. The research will address some of the gaps

and determine more approaches for encouraging students of the first generation, students of

color, men, low income to participate in postsecondary programs.

STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND ACADEMIC FOCUS 12

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