Family and institutional background: Experiences of undergraduate students in relation to role attainment and academic performance in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study examined how family and institutional background influence selected Zimbabwean undergraduate students’ role attainment and academic performance. A qualitative descriptive case study was used to collect data. Thirty undergraduate students and five lecturers were randomly selected from a population of about four hundred and fifty people. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from lecturers and student participants, respectively. The findings indicated that family and institutional background negatively influenced the students’ ability to achieve academic achievement. Most undergraduate students could not perform their duties to their best ability due to lack of resources. Institutional background was also not favourable for students from families with a low socio-economic status as a lot of consumables were to be sourced by students. In addition, the study also revealed that staying away from campuses caused much strain. The study recommends that undergraduate students receive special counselling related to role attainment and achievement. Counsellors may encourage families to treat student role as a priority in academic endeavour and ensure maximum support for them.