FACTORS AFFECTING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATES: A CASE STUDY ON TOURISM MANAGEMENT UNDERGRADUATES OF SABARAGAMUWA UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA

Abstract

Tourism is the world's fastest-growing industry and most countries' prime source of income. Therefore numbers of job opportunities are drawing with relating to the tourism industry. To fulfill the job opportunities, a knowledgeable workforce is very much essential. Many private, public institutions and universities have been established to provide theoretical and practical knowledge regarding the tourism industry. It could be argives that the academic performance of every student would be determined the overall success of the industry. Then reviewing the factors affecting on academic performance of Tourism Management students plays a significant role. Existing literature has not indicated enough evidence and is very debatable. Furthermore, these factors have not been applied to tourism management students in the Sri Lankan context. To full fill that gap, the current study was conducted. The research was conducted for the second, third, and fourth-year students who followed the B.Sc. (Hons) in Tourism Management Degree program at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. There are 61 respondents, and the 2020 February end semester examination results were used as a sample selection criteria. The Primary data ran throughout the analysis part, and a standard structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Microsoft excel and Chi-Square tests were used to analyze the collected data. Tables and figures were used to present the descriptive idea of the research. Ten independent variables were used to measure the relationship with students' academic performance. The final output shows a relationship between undergraduates' academic performance and gender, advanced-level study stream, class attendance, fluency of English, daily study time, self-efficacy, lecturers' behavior, university facilities, and peer influence. There was no relationship between the students' family background and academic performance. The findings of this study provide implications for students, academic staff of the department, and university administration to develop overall students' performance and contribute to the existing body of knowledge.