Factors that Influence Thesis Writing in a Public University

Abstract

Thesis writing during undergraduate studies is one of the most important undergraduate achievements given that students receive their degrees based on this work. Therefore, the objective of our research was to characterize different thesis writing factors in a public university. We used a mixed-methods approach that included a questionnaire and interview questions. The population was 448 students and the final sample included 208 students from the Faculty of Education at a large state university in Peru. For the questionnaire, Cronbach’s Alpha showed a reliability of 0.80. Meanwhile the construct reliability was measured with the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and was 0.74. Results showed that perceptions about thesis writing factors were medium (40.4%). Regarding personal factors showed a medium level of 44.2%, and students indicated that they had little time to elaborate their theses mostly because of work. Academic factors showed a medium level of 38.9%, and students manifested that they apply what they have learned in research courses, that their one-on-one consulting has been effective, and that they have good knowledge of APA, writing skills and use of Mendeley or Zotero. Finally, institutional factors were medium at 39.3%, and students expressed that although institutional standards do exist for thesis writing, they lack adequate diffusion. Also, students mentioned courses given by the library, among other factors. 

Received: 8 November 2023 / Accepted: 26 December 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024