CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY AND IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA-NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of contemporary society on the academic performance of undergraduate students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Specifically, it examined the effects of economic hardship, political instability, and insecurity on students’ academic performance. Guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, the study adopted ex-post facto research design. The population comprised 24,706 regular students (2024/2025 academic session) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. 240 students were selected as sample for the study. A researcher’s developed instrument titled “Contemporary Society and Impact on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students” (CSIAPUS) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts in Education to ascertain the face and content accuracy. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using Cronbach alpha and the instrument yield a score of 0.79. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Findings of the study revealed that economic hardship, political instability, and insecurity significantly hinder academic performance by limiting access to resources, disrupting academic calendars, and creating fear, with these factors often overlapping to amplify their negative effects. The study recommends among others that stakeholders in education should increase funding of scholarships to support financially disadvantaged students.