Relationship between Psychological Distress and Non-Completion among Post Graduate Students in Selected Public Universities in Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Mugendi, Sophia Mwende
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Non-completion among university students is a common phenomenon in many parts of the world. Many causes of this problem have been advanced and among them are institutional and individual reasons like financial ability, gender, and motivation to complete studies. Psychological distress though not investigated thoroughly has been cited as one of the problems leading to non-completion. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between psychological distress and non-completion among postgraduate students in selected public universities in Kenya. Weiner Attribution theory (1985) informed the study. The study adopted a correlation research design and it was conducted in two selected public universities in Uasin Gishu and Nairobi counties targeting a population of 945 postgraduate students. A sample of (N=273) was obtained from the two selected public universities through systematic random sampling. The researcher used questionnaires and focus group discussions in collecting data. Descriptive statistics in form of frequency tables and means were used to analyze demographic data. Chi-square and Spearman rank correlation was used to make inferences of data collected. Findings indicated a weak negative correlation between psychological distress and non-completion, not statistically significant, r (229) =-.063, p ˃ .05. However, descriptive findings established that a majority of students 34.1% agreed that psychological distress could lead to non-completion. The study further discovered an average non-completion rate of 2.5 years, and it was established that on average students had a moderate level of psychological distress of 25.85(SD=8.475). It was recommended that university administration should put in place or reinforce committees that handle non-completion among students. It was also recommended that universities should develop and implement a postgraduate policy that would track the postgraduate journey, as well as the establishment of course advisory. The recommendation for the postgraduate students was that they should seek guidance, and counseling from their departments to avoid delays in completion. The study was of great benefit to both students and universities because it was able to identify the relationship between non-completion and the psychological state of the students.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts (Counselling Psychology) of Kenyatta University, July, 2021
Keywords
Relationship, Psychological Distress, Non-Completion, Post Graduate Students, Selected Public Universities, Kenya