The main of objective this study is to examine the role of positive psychological capital on students’ academic performance at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo).
Higher education students’ academic performance, well-being and positive development are one among the least studied subjects in Sub-Saharan Africa, in-spite of the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa is with the largest youth population internationally. And having several challenges in youth positive development, unlike the western, though not majoring in youth population yet they accounted for most youth development studies.
According to Kapinga & Amani (2015), who investigated the determinants of academic performance among undergraduate students at Mkwawa University College of Education in Tanzania, they concluded that academic performance in higher learning institutions is partly determined by how well students achieve at pre-university level, personal determination and social-economic factors, these findings were similar to a study conducted by Zaituni Shabani back in 2013 at Aridhi University, who also concluded pre-university scores and some socio-economic factors to be major determinants for students academic performance for higher education in Tanzania.
However, there is a very little attention if not non that is being placed on positive psychology being a factor contributing to higher students’ academic performance in Tanzania, most researched factors and those that are generally perceived by the public range from gender, learning resources, learning environments, social and economic challenges and previous academic achievements.
Table of Contents
- ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
- CHAPTER ONE | INTRODUCTION
- 1.0 Chapter Overview
- 1.1 Study Background
- 1.2 Statement of the Problem
- 1.3 Research Objectives
- 1.3.1 General Objectives
- 1.3.2 Specific Objectives
- 1.4 Research Questions
- 1.4.1 General Research Question
- 1.4.2 Specific Research Question
- 1.5 Relevance of the study
- 1.7 Organization of the research proposal
- 1.8 Chapter Summary
- CHAPTER TWO | LITERATURE REVIEW
- 2.0 Chapter Overview
- 2.1 Definitions of Key Concepts
- 2.1.1 Psychological Capital
- 2.1.2 University Academic Performance
- 2.2 Theoretical Review
- 2.2.1 Evolution of Positive Psychological Capital
- 2.2.2 Dimensions of Positive Psychological Capital
- 2.3 Empirical Review
- 2.4 Research Gap
- 2.5 Conceptual Framework
- 2.6 Statement of Hypothesis
- 2.7 Chapter Summary
- CHAPTER THREE | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- 3.0 Chapter Overview
- 3.1 Research Design & Strategy
- 3.2 Research Philosophy
- 3.3 Population of the Study
- 3.4 Sample Size
- 3.5 Sampling Procedures/Strategies
- 3.6 Instrumentation, variables and measurements
- 3.7 Data Collection Methods
- 3.8 Data Analysis methods
- 3.8.1 Validity and Reliability
- 3.8.2 Data Cleaning Process
- 3.9 Ethic Consideration
- 3.10 Limitation and Areas for Further Studies
- 3.11 Chapter Summary
- References
Study Objectives & Thematic Focus
This research proposal aims to comprehensively examine the role of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) in influencing university students' academic performance. The core research question addresses whether students' positive psychological capital significantly contributes to their academic success at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo).
- Investigating the concept and dimensions of Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap).
- Analyzing the factors contributing to university students' academic performance.
- Exploring the relationship between PsyCap and academic outcomes in a specific institutional context.
- Reviewing existing theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence on the subject.
- Outlining the methodological approach, including data collection and analysis, for the study.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Study Background
Recently, countless research studies have shown that there is a strong link between positive psychology and individual's performance, and this has given birth to a very new and peculiar way of understanding human capital in human resource management. This new understanding concerning human resource's untapped value was termed Positive Psychological Capital.
Having migrated from traditional understanding of capital, most work organizations had began accepting the concept of people as capital being one of the key sources of competitive advantage, Human capital aggregated practical skills, work experience and theoretical knowledge into one resource that has the potential to lead a firm into competitiveness. In addition to Human capital come another concept of Social capital which emphasized on the “social” nature of human resources, acknowledging it as a separate capital that can lead an organization toward performance competitiveness. The concept of Social capital suggests that an individual's ability to relate effectively with others and the network of relationships that one possesses are key determinants of an individual's effectiveness in work settings, that if someone relates better then has a good chance of performing better.
The Idea of Positive psychological capital began with ideas of positive organizational behavior of Martin Seligman and his associates, who thought that organizational behavior had placed a greater attention toward that which is wrong with people and trying to fix it, and not enough attention toward that which is right about people and try nourishing it (Luthans et al, 2012). But the term Positive psychological capital itself was first coined by Fred Luthans who explained it as a caravan of four positive state-like resources inside people that can be developed and managed toward performance excellence and organizational competitiveness (Luthans et al, 2018), and vast research studies have conclusively supported the same idea, that Positive psychological capital is a key to individual's performance and organizational competitiveness.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter One | Introduction: This chapter provides the background of the study, details the problem statement, outlines general and specific research objectives and questions, discusses the relevance, scope, and limitations of the study, and describes the overall organization of the research proposal.
Chapter Two | Literature Review: This chapter defines key concepts such as Psychological Capital and University Academic Performance, reviews theoretical perspectives including the evolution and dimensions of Positive Psychological Capital, examines empirical findings, identifies the existing research gap, and presents the conceptual framework and research hypotheses.
Chapter Three | Research Methodology: This chapter outlines the systematic steps and procedures for conducting the scientific investigation, covering the research design and strategy, philosophical stance, study population, sample size, sampling techniques, instrumentation, data collection and analysis methods, validity and reliability, ethical considerations, and limitations.
Keywords
Psychological Capital, Academic Performance, University Students, Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, Research Proposal, Tanzania, Higher Education, Quantitative Analysis, Self-report Questionnaires, Conservation of Resources Theory, Educational Psychology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main topic of this work?
This research proposal investigates the effects of university students' positive psychological capital on their academic performance.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The central thematic fields include Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap), its core components (Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism), and various aspects of academic performance in a higher education setting.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to examine the role of positive psychological capital on students' academic performance at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo). The general research question asks whether students' positive psychological capital contributes to their academic performance at this institution.
Which scientific method is used in this study?
The study will employ a descriptive research design with a cross-sectional survey strategy, utilizing quantitative (descriptive) analysis methods such as correlational and regression analysis through SPSS software.
What main topics are covered in the main body of the research proposal?
The main body covers the introduction (background, problem, objectives, questions), a literature review (key concepts, theoretical and empirical evidence, research gap, conceptual framework), and the research methodology (design, philosophy, population, sample, data collection, and analysis).
What key terms characterize this research proposal?
Key terms include Psychological Capital, Academic Performance, University Students, Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, Research Proposal, and Tanzania.
Why is there a particular focus on students from Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo)?
The study specifically focuses on TUDARCo to fill a identified research gap, as there is a strong paucity of similar studies concerning Positive Psychological Capital and academic performance within the Tanzanian context.
What are the four state-like resources that constitute Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap)?
Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is composed of four state-like resources: Hope, Efficacy (self-efficacy), Resilience, and Optimism, collectively referred to as the "HERO Within".
What is the identified research gap that this study aims to fill, especially regarding the Tanzanian context?
The research aims to fill a significant gap where minimal to no research has been conducted in Tanzania concerning the role of positive psychological capital on academic institutions as a factor for students' performance, unlike other parts of the world.
How is academic performance specifically measured in this study?
Academic performance in this study will be understood and measured in terms of Grade Point Average (GPA), with scores ranging from 0 to 5, where five (5) is the highest and most desirable.
- Citar trabajo
- Alex Mbegu (Autor), 2020, The Effects of University Students’ Psychological Capital on Academic Performance, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1677072
