Influence of Study Habits, Academic Motivation, Socioeconomic Status, Health Conditions, and Institutional Trust on Academic Performance: A Multivariate Simulation Study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State

Abstract

Academic performance in higher education is influenced by a complex interaction of behavioural, psychological, and contextual factors. Although class attendance has traditionally been regarded as an important predictor of academic success, growing evidence indicates that additional variables such as motivation, study behaviour, and socioeconomic conditions may also play significant roles. This study examined the combined influence of study habits, academic motivation, socioeconomic status, health conditions, and perceived grading integrity on academic performance among 500-level Industrial and Production Engineering students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. A simulation-based multivariate analytical framework was used to model a cohort of eighty (N = 80) students, with Grade Point Average (GPA) serving as the dependent variable. Study habits, academic motivation, socioeconomic status, health condition, and perceived grading integrity were included as predictors in a multiple regression model, and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to estimate the relative influence of each variable. The results showed that academic motivation (β ≈ 0.36, p < .001) and study habits (β ≈ 0.31, p = .001) were the strongest predictors of GPA, while socioeconomic status (β ≈ 0.18, p = .037) and perceived grading integrity (β ≈ 0.22, p = .022) also demonstrated statistically significant effects. Health condition showed a positive but non-significant relationship with academic performance, and the regression model explained approximately 50% of the variance in GPA. The findings indicate that academic success in engineering education is driven more strongly by behavioural engagement and motivational factors than by contextual variables alone, highlighting the importance of strengthening study skills, fostering intrinsic motivation, and promoting transparent assessment systems to improve academic outcomes in higher education.