The Influence of Lecturer Commitment to Supervision of Theses on Post-Graduate Programme Completion in Universities in Uasin Gishu County

Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of lecturers’ commitment to the supervision of thesis on post-graduate programme completion in universities. The study was conducted in private and public universities within Eldoret Uasin Gishu County. The target population for the study was 1345 which involved the deans of schools, directors or heads of graduate studies, admission officers in the admissions office, supervisors/lecturers and postgraduate students in universities within Eldoret region where a sample size of 105 respondents was sampled to participate in the study. Data was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was analysed through coding in SPSS version, 26 data editor where inferences were drawn and descriptive statistics like mean, mode, median and frequencies of responses were used to give results of the analysis which were then presented in the form of charts and tables and prose for qualitative data. Pearson correlation analysis was used to test the hypotheses of the study. Multiple regression method (ordinary least squares) was used to investigate the relationships between parameters. Post-graduate programme completion was taken as the dependent variable (Y) while factors that affect guidance were taken as the independent variable (X). The causal effect of guidance on post-graduate programme completion was tested. The P values were used to test the significance of the independent variables towards the dependent variable. Further, qualitative data from interviews were analysed thematically and presented in line with the objectives of the study. The findings from the study indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between guidance and completion of post-graduate programmes (r = 0.825, p = 0.000). This shows that guidance influences the completion of post-graduate programmes in universities. The findings of this study may be of great value to all stakeholders in education as more students will graduate on time and more will pursue further studies. To the deans of schools, this study may assist in addressing critical challenges that cause unnecessary delays to the timely completion of studies by students and as a consequence, the decline in graduate student’s enrolment into the various programmes provided by the school. The findings may also help to explain the perennial reduction in graduate numbers from the time of registration to graduation.