Time Management

Challenges on Students’
Academic Performance:
A Case Study of a Rural
University in Limpopo
Province, South Africa
ROL
Difficulty in Time Management
Time Management Challenges on Students’ Academic Performance: A Case Study of a
Rural University in Limpopo Province, South Africa
A purposive sampling solicited data from six (6) students selected from levels one to
third year. The findings confirmed that there was a serious lack of time management
on the part of students. Work overload and stress made it difficult to address tasks
adequately, hence their poor academic achievements.
CHAPTER 3

Students were concerned about time management in limited face-to-face

classes. They were particularly troubled by activity deadlines because the
teachers simultaneously give activities. Selena said, “The challenges I faced are
lack of time, many tasks and requirements to pass, and lack of sleep”. Carmilla
said, “The challenges I faced are passing the lessons on the stated time and
doing the lessons one by one”. Esmeralda also said, “Difficulty in time
management, sequential activities, waking up early every day were the
challenges that I faced”. According to Mukwevho (2018), Time is a valuable resource
that is limited to the learning activity. Time management is one of the major
challenges that students face at tertiary institutions, and this has a bearing on their
academic performance and social life.

Lack of Social Interaction

ROL
The Study of Azmat et al. (2022), entitled “Lack of Social Interaction in Online Classes
During COVID-19” The study aimed to investigate the effects of a lack of social
interaction in online classes. The mixed methods study attracted the participation of
1456 students for quantitative data and 70 teachers for qualitative data from the
Government universities of Punjab. The questionnaires were distributed through
social media apps by using snowball sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used
to analyzequalitative data, while frequency and percentage were used to analyze
quantitative data. The findings of the study revealed that a lack of social interaction
affected students’ satisfaction level, and cause psychological issues such as health,
depression, fear of loneliness, and boredom.
Chapter 3
Due to limited face-to-face learning, there are health protocols that we need to follow
such as social distancing you cannot socialize with your friends or classmates.
Carmilla said, “The challenge I faced is not having contact with my friends and
classmates”. Esmeralda also said, “Lack of engagement with my peers”.

Mental health condition/poor quality sleep

The study of Morin et al. (2021) entitled, “Insomnia, anxiety, and depression
during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international collaborative study”. Participants
were invited to complete a standardized web-based survey about sleep and
psychological symptoms during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health impacts were also observed among lecturers where almost half of them
in our study felt more stressed due to meeting deadlines and unexpected distractions.
(Zulkipli et al. 2021)
Sleep is an inseparable part of human health and life, which is crucial in learning,
practice, as well as physical and mental health. It affects the capacity of individual
learning, academic performance, and neural-behavioral functions. (Jalali et al. 2020)
The study of Jalali et al. (20210 entitled, “The Effect of Sleep Quality on Students’
Academic Achievement”. This study aimed to determine the relationship between sleep
quality and students’ academic achievement among students at Kermanshah
University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study, 102 medical students from
different fields, with maximum variation sampling, completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality
Index (PSQI). For data analysis, SPSS 19 was used through which Pearson correlation
test, Spearman test, and t-test were employed.
Based on a study by Sweeney (2019), a student's attention fades away due to
various circumstances, such as the subject is uninteresting, the class is too
easy/difficult for the student, and the professor not conducive to
learning.
Boredom is a well-known word and a natural part of our everyday language.
Depending on our previous life experiences, the concept of boredom evokes different
associations. For many of us, it is specially associated with teaching-learning settings
in school. Özerk 2020

The study of Özerk 2020, entitled “Academic Boredom: An Underestimated Challenge in Schools”. The
research on this phenomenon is mostly from Germany and Northern America. This paper addresses and
try to clarify academic boredom as an important concept from several angles and highlights new and
promising improvements in the field.

The study of Adam (2019) entitled, “Impact of Poor Time Management in the Academic Performance of
Grade 12 ABM Students in Bestlink College of the Philippines S.Y. 2018-2019”. Descriptive research
design was the method used to describe the characteristics of the population or phenomenon
of this research study. The selected fifty (50) Grade 12 ABM students in Bestlink College of the
Philippines are the participants who answered the survey forms distributed to gather accurate
and reliable information. The result shows that time management has an impact on the
academic performance of students. The study proves that students who spend more time on
academic-related activities, attending classes, completing assignments, studying and
preparing reports are better performers than those who spend time on various things that are
not related to their academic activities that waste their time. 

Utilizing Academic Time

Time management does not influence only students’ performance or their
achievements, it also really affects their mental capabilities and create possibilities to
increase stress level among them. They must manage it for their healthy life and
complete assignments and their own accomplishments. (Ahmad et al. 2019)
The study of Ahmad et al. 2019) is entitled, “Path Relationship of Time
Management and Academic Achievement of Students in Distance Learning
Institutions”. Four hundred participants belonging to different departments
participated conveniently in this study. Self-developed questionnaires regarding time
management and academic achievement on five-point Likert scale were used to collect
data from respondents. All three techniques verified that instruments are.

valid and reliable. Data were analyzed by smartly for path analysis. There
was strong positive relationship between time management and academic
achievement r = .778 of distance learning students. It is concluded that
both variables are associated with each other and time utilization skill
affects students learning seriously. Students of web-based learning may
more focus on proper time managing ability for better academic success

The study by Darko and Wang (2021),

on
the other hand, found that
collaborative learning fosters
a more learner-centered atmosphere,
enhances students’
academic abilities, fosters the
development of solid
working connections among students,
and promotes class
engagement. Among other things,
group activities help
students develop managerial skills,
extrinsic incentives,
and internal motivation.
The study by Darko and Wang (2021),
on
the other hand, found that
collaborative learning fosters
a more learner-centered atmosphere,
enhances students’
academic abilities, fosters the
development of solid
working connections among students,
and promotes class
engagement. Among other things,
group activities help
students develop managerial skills,
extrinsic incentives,
and internal motivation.
The study by Darko and Wang (2021), on the other hand, found that collaborative
learning fosters a more learner-centered atmosphere, enhances students’ academic
abilities, fosters the development of solid working connections among students, and
promotes class engagement. Among other things, group activities help students
develop managerial skills, extrinsic incentives, and internal motivation.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation has been shown to foster creativity in face‐to‐face
groups, which is primarily due to the promotion of individual effort. Zhang X. et al.,
2020)

student interactions are more effective in learning and by meeting directly with friends

increases students' learning motivation more than during online learning. Purba 2022.

The study of Purba(2022), entitled “The Effectiveness of Limited Face-to-Face Learning

Time to Students' Motivation in Learning at SMA Negeri 10 Medan” aims to see the
effectiveness of students' learning motivation at SMAN 10 Medan when face-to-face
learning is limited. This research
method uses qualitative methods through literature study,
observation and a problem tree analysis approach to students
from SMA N 10 Medan as samples. The results of this study
indicate that there is an increase in learning motivation during
face-to-face learning is limited, compared to online system
learning from the increase in learning achievement and the
enthusiasm of students during face-to-face learning is limited.

Adequate learning

Limited face-to-face is much better than modular because students are able to
concentrate harder on our learning, we can gain greater understanding,
stories, real world examples from teachers and other students

The availability and accessibility of learning resources in face-to-face makes it

easy to comprehend the topic and text, vocabulary and other knowledge on the
specific learning areas and becomes comfortable in analyzing data to meet the
objectives of the lesson. Teachers always give guidance during face-to-face to the
students with an immediate feedback when it comes to activities and any other
related school matters. It is also shown that face-to-face is conducive to learning
while it is seen as affordable means of education since it involve both teachers
and students’ physically in the learning process.
The study of Salamuddin (2020), entitled “Comparative Analysis of Students’
Perceptions in Modular Distance Learning Approach Versus Face-to-Face Learning
Approach of Mindanao State University” aimed to find out the significant difference of
students’ perceptions in the two learning approach.This study utilized random
sampling technique through launching a survey questionnaire in assessing the
perceptions of the students in Mindanao State University –Sulu by at least ten percent
of the total number of enrollees from the seven departments existing in the
university campus academic year 2020-2021.The findings of this study revealed
that students agreed that face-to-face learning approach gives significant and had
much contribution to their learning while they have disagreed on modular
distance learning approach.

More social interaction and quick responses

The study of Ali et al. 2022, entitled “Social Interaction Impact on Student Academic Performance: An
Online Survey Estimation”. The study is to investigate the impact of social interaction on student
academic performance. A standard questionnaire is developed for empirical data collection. The 79
samples are selected in this research and ask them various types of questions related to their social life
and education. The findings of this study revealed that social interaction in Pakistan has a negative
influence on a student’s behavior as compared to positive aspects.

Social interaction plays an important role in learning by performing academic tasks. Social interactions
with people can effective in guiding the students to maintain their thoughts, provide a reflection on their
understanding, and find gaps in their studies.

Stress
According to Yasmin et al. (2020) stress occurs when you feel worried about

time, and more specifically when you don’t have enough time to

accomplish all necessary tasks. People often experience this when they fear they

can’t meet their deadlines or will be late to a meeting or appointment.

The study by Wut et al. (2021) entitled, “Person-to-person interactions in online

classroom settings under the impact of COVID-19: a social presence theory
perspective”. This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews with 17
university students and 7 instructors. This study found that student-to-
instructor and student-to-student interactions cannot fully establish a
cognitive social presence and affective social presence.