Big Five Personality Traits and Academic Goal Orientations as Predictors of Academic Self-Handicapping among Undergraduate Students of Kenyatta University, Kenya

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorChrispus Koinange Wawireen_US
dc.contributor.advisorEdward Kigenen_US
dc.contributor.authorNjuguna, Njoroge James
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-19T10:21:58Z
dc.date.available2022-08-19T10:21:58Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.descriptionA Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education of Kenyatta University, June, 2022en_US
dc.description.abstractIn Kenyatta University, a significant number of undergraduate students are discontinued from their studies every year for failing to meet academic requirements. This may reverse the gains made by the university in its role in human and social capital development. Failure to meet academic requirements among university students is a form of self-handicapping which has not extensively been researched on in Kenya and this may limit the support given to students. This study, therefore, examined how the Big Five personality traits and achievement goal orientations predict academic self-handicapping among university students. The study was anchored on self-worth and Big Five personality theories. A convergent parallel mixed method research design was used. The study targeted all third year undergraduate students in the 2019/2020 academic year. Purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling techniques were used. The study involved 391 undergraduate students. Questionnaires and an interview schedule were used for data collection. A pilot study involving 30 students established the reliability and validity of the research instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v.24). The results revealed significant positive correlations between three of the Big Five personality traits and academic handicapping: Neuroticism (r = .41, p <.05), openness to experience (r = .33, p <.05) and conscientiousness (r = .20, p < .05). Agreeableness had a significant negative correlation with academic self-handicapping (r = -.11, p <.05). Only extraversion had a non-significant correlation with academic self-handicapping (r = .05, p >.05). In addition, only two out of the four academic goal orientations had significant correlations with academic handicapping: mastery approach (r = -.13, p <.05), and performance avoidance (r =.15, p <.05). Non-significant correlations were reported for mastery avoidance (r =.09, p > .05) and performance approach (r =.04, p > .05). A stepwise regression revealed that the Big Five personality traits and achievement goal orientation accounted for 27% of variation in undergraduate students’ academic self-handicapping. When self-esteem was added in the model, it significantly accounted for a 4 % change in the variation of students’ academic self-handicapping (ΔR2 = .04, ΔF (9, 306) =1.92, p = .04). The prediction model was statistically significant (F (19, 306) = 7.12, p < .05, Adjusted R2 = .26). Thus efforts to understand how the Big Five personality traits and achievement goal orientation predict academic self-handicapping should pay attention to self-esteem as a moderator. The study recommends that interventions aimed at guiding undergraduate students to reduce neuroticism, openness to experience and performance avoidance orientation may be beneficial in efforts to reduce academic self-handicapping tendencies. Educational practices that foster mastery goals and enhance students’ self-esteem may help in reducing self-handicapping among university students.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/24017
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.subjectBig Fiveen_US
dc.subjectPersonality Traitsen_US
dc.subjectAcademic Goal Orientationsen_US
dc.subjectPredictorsen_US
dc.subjectAcademic Self-Handicappingen_US
dc.subjectUndergraduate Studentsen_US
dc.subjectKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.subjectKenyaen_US
dc.titleBig Five Personality Traits and Academic Goal Orientations as Predictors of Academic Self-Handicapping among Undergraduate Students of Kenyatta University, Kenyaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Big Five Personality .....pdf
Size:
2.78 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Fultext thesis
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
PHD-Department of Educational Psychology