PATH-ANALYTIC STUDY OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC CAPABILITY AND COMPLETION RATE OF PH.D. PROGRAMMES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Abstract

This study examined the influence of students’ academic capability on the completion rate of Ph.D. programmes using a path analytic framework. It conceptualizes academic capability as a multidimensional construct comprising research ability, analytical ability, research productivity, and self-efficacy. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design approach to obtain information using both physical and online approaches from 200 study participants, comprising postgraduates who are through with their programmes of study and those who are on research, using a four-point scale questionnaire developed from the list of academic capability dimensions influencing completion rate as identified by the researcher through inductive and deductive studies. The findings of the study revealed that research ability, analytical ability, and self-efficacy directly and indirectly influenced one another as well as completion rate, except for research productivity, which exhibited a single path of direct relationship with completion rate. Self-efficacy demonstrated positive direct influences on research ability, research productivity, and completion rate (β = .049), (β = .666), and (β = .152), respectively. Furthermore, research productivity exhibited indirect positive effects on analytical ability and research productivity but a negative indirect influence on completion rate at (β = .37), (β = .456), and (β = -.060), respectively. It was also revealed that self-efficacy and research productivity demonstrated negative total effects on completion rate (β = -.152) and (β = -.467), indicating that individual students’ overconfidence in their ability to successfully plan and execute their research-related tasks might make them end up graduating late.