CORRELATION BETWEEN EXOGENOUS INPUTS AND GRADUATION RATES IN GRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREE PROGRAMS IN GHANA’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Q: What does the study investigate regarding graduate research degree programs?

The study investigates the relationship between exogenous inputs and graduation rates in graduate research degree programs in two public universities in Ghana.

Q: How were data collected for the study?

Data were generated from M.Phil. and Ph.D. students and graduates across applied science and humanities departments. Stratified random and snowball sampling were used, and a questionnaire plus document analysis guide were used to collect data.

Q: Which exogenous factors were found to affect graduation rates?

Prior experience, students’ interest, and sponsorship through scholarship were found to be positively related to graduation rates and significantly predicted graduation outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

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A study examined how exogenous inputs relate to graduation rates in graduate research degree programs in two public universities in Ghana. Data were collected from sample M.Phil. and Ph.D. students and graduates across applied science and humanities departments using stratified random and snowball sampling. Using questionnaires and document analysis, results showed prior experience, interest, and scholarship sponsorship were positively associated with graduation rates and significantly predicted graduate research students’ graduation outcomes. The study recommends securing sponsorship and enrolling students with reliable support and prior research experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

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INTRODUCTION

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Student Characteristics and Graduation Rates

CORRELATION BETWEEN EXOGENOUS INPUTS AND GRADUATION RATES IN GRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREE PROGRAMS IN GHANA’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES DANIEL ATTAKUMAH St. Francis College of Education, Hohoe, Ghana JOHN KIRURU NDIRITU MUKIRAE NJIHIA Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya ABSTRACT A country’s research output depends primarily on the number ofresearch graduates churned out from its higher education institutions. These institutions work with some exogenous phenomena to produce research graduates. This study investigated the relationship between exogenous inputsand graduation rate in graduate research degree programs in two public universities in Ghana. The data of the study were generated from a sample of [318 M.Phil. degree](318 M.Phil. degree) [and Ph.D. degree](and Ph.D. degree) students and graduates from nine applied science and sixteen humanities departments. Stratified random and snowball sampling techniques were used to sample respondents for the research. A questionnaire and document analysis guide were used to obtain data to test the hypothesis atp<.05 alpha level of significance. The findings ofthe study indicated that students’situations, including prior experience, interest and sponsorship through scholarship, were positively related to graduation rates and significantly predicted research students’ graduation rates. The study suggested that universities should put in efforts to secure sponsorship for critical graduate research degree programs. Enrolment policy in these programs should target students with reliable sponsorship and those with prior research experience to improve graduation rates in research degree programs in public universities. INTRODUCTION Higher education is of paramount interest to individuals and society as it provides private and social benefits. Tertiary education exposes individuals to diverse career opportunities and increases their likelihood of higher incomes. Graduates from higher education often enjoy an improved quality of life and can build valuable networks. These benefits are the result of graduates’exposure to up-to-date labor market information and their ability to make informed job choices based on their versatile skills, expertise, and experiences (McMahon, 2018; Smith, 2020) . Higher education offers some advantages to society, including enhanced political engagement, strengthened social cohesion, and a reduction in crime rates, among other benefits. The research aspect of higher education empowers individuals to bridge knowledge gaps, disseminate existing knowledge, foster innovation, cultivate critical thinking skills, enhance professional practice, and inform crucial policymaking, among other contributions. These benefits have propelled higher education to a position of great importance, garnering significant attention from various stakeholders, most especially in less developed countries. Contemporary society places a great significance on the number of research graduates produced by universities and factors such as external influences that impact the completion of research degrees graduation rates, entry into the job market, and successful employment at any given time (Johnson, 2021; McMahon, 2021; Wolfe,& Haveman, 2003) . Educational Planning | Summer 2025 47 Vol. 32, No. 3 At the peak of higher education are research degrees. Research degree completion refers to the percentage of students in a cohort who had completed and submitted their theses or dissertations for examination within a specified period. Graduation rate, on the other hand, refers to the percentage of students in a cohort adjusted for transfers into and out of the cohort who passed their theses/ dissertations assessment and obtained their degree certificates successfully in a particular graduation session. Research degree completion and graduation rates have been adopted by some corporate organizations and governments globally as a sign of competence, success and value in assisting learners t

FAQs

What does the study investigate regarding graduate research degree programs?

The study investigates the relationship between exogenous inputs and graduation rates in graduate research degree programs in two public universities in Ghana.

How were data collected for the study?

Data were generated from M.Phil. and Ph.D. students and graduates across applied science and humanities departments. Stratified random and snowball sampling were used, and a questionnaire plus document analysis guide were used to collect data.

Which exogenous factors were found to affect graduation rates?

Prior experience, students’ interest, and sponsorship through scholarship were found to be positively related to graduation rates and significantly predicted graduation outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by moss~