scholarly journals Gender as a Moderator and its Moderating Effect on Relationship between Face Book Usage and the Academic Performance of Government University Undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Author(s):  
P.D.V. Charika Wickramaratne ◽  
Dr. Syed Helmy Seyd Abu Bakar ◽  
Prof. Jeong Chung Phuoc

From this Article, it is considered that the moderating effect of gender, for Facebook usage, and the academic performance of government university undergraduates in Sri Lanka. From 984 government university undergraduates were the respondents of this study, and the respondents were from the University of Peradeniya, University of Kelaniya, University of Colombo, and University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Gender is a moderate variable for the study. And there are 534 male undergraduate respondents, and 450 female respondents responded to the questionnaire. Using a multi - group analysis method identified the moderating effect on both male and female groups. According to the analysis results, proved that gender moderates the relationship between social media usage (Facebook) and the academic performance of the government university undergraduates in Sri Lanka.

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajjad Ullah Jan ◽  
Mumtaz Ali Anwar ◽  
Nosheen Fatima Warraich

Emotional intelligence has a strong link with academic anxieties. It is apparent from the published literature that a student with high emotional intelligence would face low academic anxiety and vice versa. Similarly, library anxiety, which is an academic anxiety, also affects students’ academic performance. Library anxiety of students may increase or decrease along with their ability to understand and manage their own emotions and those of others. However, there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between these two concepts. Data regarding these concepts were collected from university undergraduates. Findings established significant relationships between emotional intelligence, library anxiety and academic performance among the participants. This study has practical implications for academicians and professional librarians to deal with the library anxiety of students and their academic performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-41
Author(s):  
Colin Agabalinda ◽  
Alain Vilard Ndi Isoh

The study investigated the direct effects of financial literacy (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) on financial preparedness for retirement and the moderating effect of age among the small and medium enterprises in Uganda. Primary data was collected from a sample of n = 380 selected from the SME workforce. Descriptive analysis was run on SPSS, while validity and reliability of the measurement items yielded satisfactory composite reliability scores and average variance explained (AVE) scores for all items. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses and multi-group analysis conducted to test for the moderating effect of age on the relationship between financial literacy and retirement preparedness. The results revealed that knowledge and skills were significant predictors of retirement preparedness. However, ‘attitude' was not a significant predictor, and age had no moderating effect on the relationship between the study variables. These findings present practical implications for policymakers and financial educators in a developing country context.


Author(s):  
Matundura Erickson ◽  

The government has attempted to target specific macroeconomic factors in order to stimulate economic growth in Kenya through monetary and fiscal policies. Despite these efforts, Kenya's GDP growth is hampered by high interest rates and high interest rate volatility. Kenya's ability to address macroeconomic instability hinges on its ability to increase economic growth. Auxiliary evidence shows that perspectives on the relationship between ICT and economic growth are segmented. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of ICT on economic growth in Kenya, as well as the moderating effect of political instability on the relationship. The research was based on Solow's theory of growth. An explanatory research design was used, with data spanning from 1990-2020 obtained from Kenya Bureau of Statistics. In the empirical analysis, the study used the bound test to test for a long-run relationship and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) to evaluate the relationship between the variables. The data was subjected to an Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test to determine stationarity.The long run ARDL results indicated that the coefficients of; ICT rate were insignificant . However with the introduction of political instability as the moderator ICT was significant and positively affected economic growth. Political instability moderated the relationship between ICT ( and economic growth. As a result, promoting effective governance should help to improve political stability. The findings of this study will help the government figure out how to address the problem of low economic growth. According to the study, the government should invest in the ICT sector to improve its accessibility and affordability. Additionally, the government should work to improve political stability and good governance by gradually establishing institutions that uphold the rule of law and provide security.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-219
Author(s):  
Robert Kwame Dzogbenuku ◽  
George Kofi Amoako ◽  
Desmond K. Kumi

Purpose This study aims to determine the impact of social media usage on university student’s academic performance in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research method was used for the study. With the aid of a simple random sampling technique, quantitative data were obtained from 373 out of 400 respondents representing 93 per cent of volunteered participants. Data collected was analysed using structural equation modelling to establish the relationship among social media information, social media entertainment, social media innovation, social media knowledge generation and student performance. Findings The findings of this study indicate that social media information, social media innovation and social media entertainment all had a significant positive influence on social media knowledge generation, which has wide learning and knowledge management implications. Also, the study indicated that information computer technology knowledge moderates the relationship between social media and student performance. Research limitations/implications The sample taken was mainly cross-sectional in nature rendering the inference of causal relationships between the variables impossible. Future researchers should adopt a longitudinal research design to examine causality. Finally, the study was limited to only university students in Accra, Ghana. Future research can extend to a bigger student population and to other West African and African countries. Practical implications This paper will serve as a profitable source of information for managers and researchers who may embark on future research on social media and academic performance. The findings that social media information, innovation and entertainment can likewise enhance social media knowledge generation can help managers and university teachers to use the vehicle of innovation and entertainment to communicate knowledge. Social implications The findings of this study will help policymakers in education and other industries that engage the youth to realise the important factors that can make them get the best in the social media space. Originality/value Social media usage in academic performance is increasingly prevalent. However, little is known about how social media knowledge generation mediates between social media usage and academic performance and, furthermore, whether the information computer technology knowledge level of students moderates the relationship between social media knowledge generation and academic performance of university students in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. Theoretically, the findings of this study provide clear research evidence to guide various investigations that can be done on the relationships of the variables under social media usage, knowledge generation and university student performance, which advances the diffusion of new knowledge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Zhou ◽  
Lun Cai ◽  
Meilan Zhuang ◽  
Y. Alicia Hong ◽  
Ya Fang

Abstract Background Understanding how living arrangements may affect psychological well-being (PWB) is critical in China, a society with the largest older population in the world. However, few studies have examined the moderating effect of income sources on the relationship between living arrangements and PWB. Our aim was to examine whether living arrangements are associated with PWB and whether income sources moderate this association. Methods The data were drawn from the third (2002) to sixth (2011/2012) waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Six questions reflecting older adults’ well-being were used to measure PWB. Living arrangements were classified as follows: living alone, living with family and living in an institution. Income sources were categorized into financially independent, supported by children, and governmental support. We performed random-effects ordinal probit models to examine the association of living arrangements with PWB and the moderating effect of income sources on this relationship. Results We included a total sample of 30,899 observations for 16,020 respondents aged 65 and over during 9-year follow-up. Older adults living with family (β = .29, p < .001) and those living in an institution (β = .34, p < .001) had stronger PWB than those living alone; moreover, support from children (β= −.24, p < .001) or from the government (β= −.08, p < .05) has a negative effect on PWB compared to the effect of financial self-support. Living in an institution with support from children (β= −.22, p < .05) led to lower PWB than living alone with financial self-support. The opposite result was observed for older adults living with their family and supported by the government (β = .16, p < .05). Conclusions Our analysis provides a significant contribution to the existing literature on the relationship between living arrangements and PWB in China. We recognize that living with family or in an institution leads to better PWB than does living alone. In addition, financial support from the government can moderate this association.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-455
Author(s):  
Carlos Ramos-Galarza ◽  
Pamela Acosta-Rodas ◽  
Mónica Bolaños-Pasquel ◽  
Nancy Lepe-Martínez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is fourfold: first, to analyse the relationship between executive functions and academic performance; second, to identify the level of prediction executive functions have on academic performance; third, to determine the correlation between executive functions and academic performance; and fourth, to compare executive functions based on the level of academic performance. Design/methodology/approach The sample composed of 175 university students aged between 18 and 36 years (M=21.49, SD=3.22). The EFECO scale, the average student grade and a scale based on the diagnostic criteria for ADHD were used as measurement instruments. Findings Difficulties in executive functions: Difficulties in working memory (r=−0.30, p=<0.01) and difficulties in conscious supervision of behaviour (r=−0.29, p⩽0.01) have an inversely proportional relationship to academic performance (the greater the deficit of executive functions, the lower the academic performance). The regression analysis showed that executive functions explain 31 per cent of the variance of academic performance (χ2(25)=43.81, p <0.001). The study found that there is a relationship between all the executive functions and students’ behaviour in a medium to large magnitude. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study was the size of the sample as it is not representative of the country. Nevertheless, the correlation among the variables studied here has the necessary magnitude for the proposed correlations to be found. Nonetheless, it is necessary that we perform a study with a larger number of participants in order to achieve adequate extrapolation of the results. Practical implications Data found in this study suggest that low academic performance of university students is related to a lower functionality of their executive functions. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in relating specific concepts of neuropsychology to explain the academic performance of university students. The research findings allow us to project new studies to improve the executive functions for the benefit of the university student.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Brenda Molonko ◽  
Ambrose Jagongo ◽  
Job Omagwa

The study objective was toestablish the effect of debt servicing on sectoral economic growth as well as the moderating effect of inflation on the relationship between debt servicing and sectorial economic growth in Kenya. The study employed Auto Regressive Distributed Lag model. Eleven sectors that receive government expenditure were analyzed while adopting positivist philosophy and a causal research design. The Study period covered the year 2006 to the 2015.Secondary data for the study period were collected from Statistical Abstracts of Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Debt Servicing Reports from Kenya National Treasury. Panel Stationarity Test and Heterogeneity Test were conducted as preliminary tests whereas Hausman Test was carried out to choose efficient estimator from Pooled Mean Group, Dynamic Fixed Effects and Mean Group Estimators. The study established that in the long run, debt servicing has a significant effect on sectoral economic growth. In addition, the study established that inflation has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between debt servicing and Sectoral economic growth in the long run at the significance level of 0.05. The study concluded that debt servicing has a significant effect on sectoral economic growth in Kenya in the long run and no effect in the short run. Additionally, inflation enhances the influence of debt servicing on sectoral economic growth in the long run. The study further confirms that Kenya is not facing a debt overhang problem. The study recommends that if the government must borrow, the loans should be concessional in nature with long term repayment periods. The government should ensure that reasonable levels of inflation are achieved.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 622-634
Author(s):  
Warren Tibesigwa ◽  
◽  
Will Kaberuka ◽  
Joanina Ayebare ◽  
Ally Ndeshiuta Morris ◽  
...  

There are many studies on the relationship between household income and saving though very little is known about the influence of financial planning on the relationship between household income and saving.This paper examined the moderating effect of financial planning on the relationship between household income and saving in Tanzania.Based on cross-sectional secondary data (Finscope data,2017) that was collected using multistage sampling from 9457 respondents, descriptive, correlation, regression and moderation effect were performed to analyze the data.The findings indicate that household income and interaction effects have a positive relationship with level of saving. Finally, regression results show that household income and financial planning have a positive significant effect on household saving levels and that financial planning has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between household income and level of saving. From these study results,it is recommended that the government of Tanzania through the ministry of community development, gender and children in should introduce financial awareness programs to the communities in order for the people to realize the need of financial planning and hence improve their saving.Further more the government throughthe ministry of education and vocational training should introduce financial awareness in the school curriculum so that citizens learn how to plan for financial matters at early stages.


The existence of Muslim-Buddhist conflicts in the Southeast Asian region such as in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand is based on the perception that Islam is a threat to Buddhism. While in Malaysia, although the relationship between the Muslims and Buddhists remains in harmony, there is a certain perception among Buddhists towards Islam. Hence, this article will discuss the forms of Buddhism’s perception of Islam in Malaysia. The study was qualitative using document analysis. The study found that particular group of Buddhists in Malaysia had a negative perception of Islam, particularly on the implementation of Islamization policy by the government and the Islamic resurgence movement in Malaysia. This perception is based on misunderstanding of Islam which is seen as a threat to the survival of Buddhists in practicing their teachings. The study recommends the empowerment of understanding between the religious adherents through Islamic-Buddhist dialogue at various levels of government and NGOs.


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