Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
Thesis writing has been found to be the most prominent factor leading to postgraduate students' attrition and untimely completion of their programme according to stipulated duration. This study was therefore carried out with a view to finding out the variables attributed to delay in thesis completion by postgraduate students. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Snowball sampling was used in selecting 212 delayed postgraduate students' in a federal university in the South Eastern Nigeria. A questionnaire named POSTDAQ was adapted and validated by the researchers. Mean were used in answering the research questions while t-test were used in testing the hypotheses. The study shows that the students related factors are more attributive to delay in completion of thesis. The study thus revealed that supervision schedule, students' interest and predisposition towards research work, student's skill in conduct of research and availability of needed research support (resources) are major attributive variables to delay in thesis completion. It was also found out that supervisor/supervisee working relationship do not delay thesis completion to a great extent. It was recommended that the students should be properly trained in research methods as well as enforced to show profound interest towards their research work.

Keywords: thesis, postgraduate students, supervisees, supervisors, delay, attributive factors efficiency.

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