Proceedings of The 5th International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2022
DOI:
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The Impact of “Working While Studying” On Students’ Academic Performance – A Rising Trend in Egypt
Noha A. Alaa EL Dine , and Menatalla Kaoud
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how working university students in Egypt is witnessed as a rising trend especially after pandemic and the shift into online learning. This paper examines the impact of working while studying on university students’ academic performance namely Cumulative GPA (CGPA). The research followed an exploratory survey method with a sample of
361 students both working and non-working university students from year 2 to year 4 (Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors) across the four schools (Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering, and Biotechnology) at Nile University – Cairo, Egypt. This study is the first of its kind in Egypt to investigate the effect of working students and the implication on their academic performance, and their ability to strike a work life balance while studying. Controversial effect of working students was derived from literature. The study revealed a slightly negative relationship of working while studying and students’ CGPA compared to non-working. Furthermore, the acquisition of important business skills such as efficiency reflected in shorter time spent on their assignments. The study emphasized the negative effect of working students on their work life balance in terms of reduced time for social activities and increased level of stress. The findings yet imply that a new mindset into the pedagogical approach needs to be addressed to bridge the gap between the rising trend of working students and the current mindset of all stakeholders within the educational ecosystem.
keywords: Working students, academic performance, student employment, work life balance, online learning.