The role of physical environmental factors on university students’ academic performance
Keywords:
Academic Performance, Physical Environment, Building Conditions, Campus Layout, Surrounding Neighborhood, University Students, Aeronautics and Astronautics, AviationAbstract
Education and the level of educational development in a country constitute the basis for the social and economic development of that country. The importance of academic performance in a country, especially in higher education, can not be denied. It is therefore important to investigate factors that affect academic achievement in the positive or negative way. This paper aims to determine the factors influencing the academic performance of university students in terms of physical environment, including building design and conditions, campus layout and surrounding neighborhood.
This is an exploratory research in which qualitative research design is used. Statistical analyses such as regression, correlation and variance (ANOVA) are applied in order to analyze data. Since the whole survey population is made of the students of Aeronautics and Astronautics Faculty of Kocaeli University, there is no sampling method applied. Survey is performed on voluntary basis.
It was expected to reach the results supporting the main hypothesis of the research "physical environmental factors, such as building, campus layout and surrounding neighborhood, affect university students’ academic performance". However, the findings are far apart from supporting the main hypothesis. It is found out that there is no relationship and no effect between academic performance and physical environmental factors.
Current study might be one of the pioneer studies regarding the university students’ academic performance in context of aviation in Turkey. Despite of the fact that the students like to hold physical environment responsible for their academic failure, it is proven that there is no relation and no effect in between them. Of course, these results are weak in generality since the research is limited to only the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Kocaeli University. Research needs to be replicated in different faculties and departments of different universities in order to ensure generalizability.
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