Students’ Challenges and Barriers in the Completion of an Undergraduate Thesis in the Case of A Premier Local College in the Philippines

Abstract

Writing a thesis has always been considered one of the most challenging aspects of being an undergraduate student. However, no research on the difficulties of undergraduate students in the setting of Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs) in the Philippines has been identified. The purpose of this sequential explanatory research was to evaluate the challenges and obstacles experienced by undergraduate students while finishing their theses. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Physical Education at City College of Angeles in the Philippines who have completed writing and defending their theses comprise the study's participants. After gathering data from 116 students via an online survey (Nmale = 59, Nfemale = 57) for the quantitative phase, it was determined that infrastructure, communication, and time management presented a moderate amount of difficulty for students. Additionally, after the thematic analysis, three major themes and six sub-themes emerged: (1) Internet connectivity challenges and communication (connectivity issues and inadequate scientific resources, as well as communication with thesis groupmates), (2) Data gathering impediments (participant recruitment and rejection), and (3) Time Management issues (drawbacks of working students and thesis writing contrasted with other academic course works). Based on the findings, this report offers recommendations for tackling these obstacles and issues. Finally, the study's limitations and proposals for further research are presented.