| dc.description.abstract | University students face numerous psychosocial challenges that contribute to poor
academic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of
selected psychosocial challenges on the academic performance of first-year students at
Kenyatta University. The study was guided by three objectives: to examine the influence
of relational factors on academic performance of first-year students in Kenyatta
University, to determine the influence of emotional stability on academic performance,
and to identify strategies that can be used to help the first-year students to overcome
psychosocial challenges affecting their academic performance. Social Learning Theory
and Cognitive Behavioral Theory were used to explain the study variables. The study
adopted a descriptive survey design whereby stratified sampling technique was used to
select 560 respondents who were first-year students at Kenyatta University. Data were
gathered by the use of an interview guide and a questionnaire. Content validation was
used to determine the study tools' validity. The Cronbach value of at best 0.6 was used to
determine reliability. Using SPSS version 23, data were analyzed using standard
deviation and displayed in the type of tables and charts. The research found that first-year
students face multiple difficulties concerning relational and emotional issues. Some of the
most common problems in the study were time, workload, expectations for the two
cohorts, balancing relationships with peers, meeting academic performance expectations,
freedom of choice in course selection, and personal inhibitions such as feelings of
loneliness and depression among others. The study further found that interventions
addressing these psychological challenges had already been put in place. These were
psychological evaluations, time-bound treatment, emotional support, personal
development groups or external psychological services, and social integration for
addressing relationship difficulties. This is done by encouraging students to engage in any
academic, cultural, and sporting activities. The University also offers orientation
programs for first-time students. To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the
programs in place, the University has taken measures to widen the scope of their focus in
the future by providing programs during the orientation week for first-year students to get
to know each other. It was recommended that a comparative study on public universities
and private universities should be conducted to investigate how psychosocial factors
influence academic performance among first years. | en_US |
