Effect of Self-Determination Skills on Academic Achievements of Distance Education Students of University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the effect of self-determination skills on the academic achievements of University of Cape Coast distance education students reading the Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) in the Kumasi Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was adopted as the research design. The study further employed a simple random technique to select 338 respondents from the second-year students DBE students in Kumasi Metropolis. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The frequencies, descriptive statistics and percentages were used to analyse the first research question. The results showed that the respondents possess choice-making skills, decision-making skills, goal-setting and attainment skills, self-regulation and management skills and self-awareness and knowledge skills. Independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the difference in the academic achievements of the female and male respondents to analyse research question two. The correlation value and test of significant value were reported to show that there was statistically no significant difference between the academic difference of the male and female respondents. The p-value from the analyses implied that the relationship between the respondents’ self-determination skills and their academic achievements is statistically significant; hence the self-determination skills have a significant effect on the academic achievements of the respondents. It is the recommendation of this study that career guidance and counselling session are organized for the students when they are enrolled into college on the need and importance of high academic achievement regardless of one’s gender.