Students’ Practices and Perceptions Regarding Discipline Selection Based on Personal Interest and its Impact on Academic Achievment in Higher Education

Abdus Samad; Irfanullah Khan; Mudassar Hussain

Abdus Samad PhD Scholar, Department of Education and Research Lukki Marwat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Irfanullah Khan Assistant Professor, Department of Education and Research Lukki Marwat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Mudassar Hussain Assistant Professor, Department of Education and Research Lukki Marwat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study focuses on Students’ practices and perceptions regarding discipline selection based on personal interest and its impact on academic achievement in higher education. The study was quantitative in nature thereby survey research design was used. Students of BS (7th &8^th) semesters from 10 HEIs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa comprised the target population. A sample size of 382 students’ was selected out of 6247 through proportionate stratified sampling technique. Pearson product moment correlation(r) and leaner regression were applied as referential statistics. The findings disclose a moderate positive correlation between subject selection based on personal interest and academic attainment, suggesting a noticeable impact. Recommendations comprise inspiring students to align major subjects with personal interests, creating career counseling programs for well-versed academic decisions, and applying aptitude-based admissions in BS-level programs. This study highlights the important role of intrinsic motivation and personal interest in determining academic achievement, and presenting insights for students, parents, institutions, and policymakers.

Keywords: Perceptions, Bachelor of Science/ studies (BS), personal interest/ passion, Aptitude, Academic Achievement