Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
Education is an instrument that not only fills the missing links and gaps created due to a fast-paced life, but also creates general awareness about changing scenario. Education is the axis around which revolves the fullness of human being and education forms an effective means to improve the status of character of living patterns of the pupil, helps in intellectual, social and emotional development and enables them to meet their basic needs. Thus, education is an indispensable instrument for stability and progress of individual as well as society. In education, effective learning not only depends upon good teaching but also on satisfactory learning procedure i.e. good study habits.
Over the years, the issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to all stakeholders involved. The problem is so much that it has led to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Nigeria at large. Employers of labour no longer believe in the capacity of various educational institutions to provide graduates who are worth their salt or termed “employable”. Various issues have been pointed out as causative factors for this and one germane factor out of all is the issue of study habit.
According to Aristotle, habit is what we repeatedly do. Habits generate other habits. Inspiration is what gets us started, motivation is what keeps us on track, and habit is what makes us automatic. Anything we practice long enough becomes ingrained into our system and becomes a habit. Students are basically having their own individual differences. It all depends upon their ability and capacity. We do observe that some students have the habit of studying daily lessons regularly. Academic performance is defined as excellence in all academic discipline rather than fatalistically accepting it and competing against some standard of excellence (Chamundeswari 2014).
Study habits are defined as those techniques, such as summarizing, note taking, outlining or locating material which learners employ to assist themselves in the efficient learning of the material at hand. The term “Study Habit” implies a sort of more or less permanent method of studying. According to Good’s dictionary of education, “Study habit is the tendency of pupil to study when the opportunities are given, the pupil’s way of studying whether systematic or unsystematic, efficient or inefficient. “Study-habits are the essence of a dynamic personality. A proper study habits enables an individual to reap a good harvest in future.
Study habit is a process from which an individual gets proper input to feed his hunger and to quench his thrust for knowledge. The study habits thus are of great assistance to actualize the potentialities of the individual (suresh 2013).
Study habits and skills are particularly important for undergraduate students, whose needs include time management, note taking, Internet skill, the elimination of distractions, and assigning a high priority to study. Fielden (2004) states that good study habits help the student in critical reflection in skills outcomes such as selecting, analyzing, critiquing, and synthesizing. Nneji (2002) states that study habits are learning tendencies that enable students work privately. Azikiwe (1998) describes study habits as the way and manner a student plans his or her private reading outside lecture hours in order to master a particular subject or topic. Study habits help students master their areas of specialization.
Bakare (1977) in his study habit inventory pointed out eight key sources of poor academic performance. Study habit problems associated with student’s response to home work and assignments; reading and note taking and study period procedure; student’s concentration; towards examination and teachers’ consultation. The inability to utilize effectively and positively these sources of study problems may stand in the way of effective study and good performance among the students.
The relationship between study habit and students’ academic performance has for long has received attention from scholars and educational agencies. Nuthane&Yenage (2009) has examined the causes of poor academic performance among university undergraduates. Some of these factors identified are intellectual ability, poor study habits, achievement motivation, lack of vocational goals, self concept, low socio- economic status of the family, poor family structure and so on.
The concept of study habit comprises the concept of study attitude, study method and study skill. Attitude towards study has great contribution in academic performance and good study pattern. Successful students adopt positive attitude towards study and do not waste time or energy. However, there are still myriads of cases of failure recorded, and then the question is what are the successful students doing differently from those who fail? Owing to this, there is the need to study the effect of study habits on academic performance.Thus, against the backdrop of this research, the researcher deemed it necessary to carry out this research on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University.
1.2 Statement of problem
A great deal of research provides evidence that study habits and study attitudes are both significant variables, which determine the academic performance of students. Yet, in spite of the perceived importance of study habits and study attitudes to academic performance, it seems that education institution still pay little attention to understanding these factors (Baquiran, 2011).Classroom observations show that under the same conditions, namely same professor, same subject, same teaching system, same administration, same enrollment criteria, same time of the day for an specific course and same education level, some students perform well while others do not. The question arises as to what are the aspects that influence this difference in performance, and what is the best way to arrange the study process of multicultural groups of college students, so that all learn and perform accordingly with schools’ expectations. Conditions, namely same lecturers, same course, same teaching system, same administration, same enrollment criteria, same time of the day for an specific course and same education level, some students perform well while others do not. The question arises as to what are the aspects that influence this difference in performance, and what is the best way to arrange the study process of university undergraduates, so that all learn and perform accordingly with schools’ expectations.
Hence, it is considered important to know what habits university undergraduates have and, in case of low-performing students, which of those habits need to be changed in order to improve performance. The importance of improving habits lays in their relationship with attitudes, which are deemed important for achieving high academic performance.
The high rate of failure is indeed a source of worry to all and sundry. The curiosity to proffer solutions to these problems resulted in the choice to undertake the study on this topic. “Effect of study habits on the academic performance of students in Olabisi Onabanjo University”
1.3 Research Objectives
Main Objective
The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of study habits on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of this study are given below
- Examine the effect of notes taking on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University students.
- Find out the effect of the use of library on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University students.
- Determine the effect of time allocation to study on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University students.
- Determine the effect of effective-listening on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University students.
1.4 Research Questions
In this study, the following research questions will be used to guide the study.
- Is there any significant effect between notes taking and student’s academic performance in Olabisi Onabanjo University?
- Is there any significant effect between student’s use of library and their academic performance in Olabisi Onabanjo University?
- Is there any significant effect between time allocation to study and student’s academic performance in Olabisi Onabanjo University?
- Is there any significant effect between effective-listening and student’s academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
In this study, four null hypotheses will be used for this study to test at 0.05 level of significance; thus:
Ho1: There is no significant effect between notes taking and academic performance of students in Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Ho2: There is no significant effect between student’s use of library and their academic performance in Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Ho3: There is no significant effect between time allocation to study and student’s academic performance in Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Ho4: there is no significant effect between effective-listening and student’s academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University.
1.6 Significance of study
This study will be of significance to many as to who may want to understand the effect of study habits on the academic performance of Olabisi Onabanjo University. Therefore, the study is significant in this regard.
It attempts to combine study skills with study habit and how they both affect academic performance of students.
- It will provide valuable information about the effects of poor study habit on the academic performance of students.
- It will serve as resource materials for others who want to carry out research in the related field.
The researchers believes that students, particularly University student will be benefited from the findings of this study since the study provides basis for awareness and better understanding of how their current study habits affected their academic performance. Likewise gives them a more focused and clear perspective on how the specific behaviors related toothier studies influenced study habits.
1.7 Scope of the study
This study centers on effects of study habit on academic performance of students in Olabisi Onabanjo University.
1.8 Operational definition of terms
Study habit:
This is a behavior style that is systematically formed by students towards learning and achievement.
Study skills:
These are peculiar strategies developed by the students in studying.
Academic:
This has been variously defined but for the purpose of this study, horn by (1991) define academic as that which has to do with school college studies or learning in other words designate the intellectual; aspect of education particularly the final subject deals with organized knowledge.
Academic performance:
This refers to the performance that falls within specified standard is usually called pass mark and the pass mark is score above average which student are considered having passed and below which students are considered having failed.
1.9 Organization of the study
This study was structured under five different chapters.
Chapter one is the introduction, which gives the background, statement of the problem, purpose, scope and significance of the study and organization.
Chapter two reviews the literature relating to the study area. This literature review will be analyzed under conceptual review, empirical review and theoretical Review.
Chapter three treats the methodology used to examine the study.
Chapter four discusses data analysis and the result of findings.
Chapter five highlights the conclusion and recommendation.
