Comparative Analysis of Academic Performance between Day Scholars and Hostelites Undergraduate Nursing Students at Public Teaching Institutes of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Academic performance is considered as the index of knowledge gained and success achieved in one’s studies, so it is important to know how it is affected by different factors. Student learning is affected by their study habits, motivation to learn, institution type, socioeconomic status, parenting style, family support, sleep and many others. One of the most influencing factors is the environment in which student lives and learns.  Students either live at their homes with parents and only come to college for attending lectures and then return back to their homes, or either they leave their homes and families, and resides in hostels for the purpose of their studies. Both the day scholars and hostelites are the students struggling to perform academically well but in a totally different environment; one has good food, family support, sufficient sleep and no homesickness while the other faces a whole new environment, new roommates, peers, homesickness, altered sleep and eating, stress, and dedicated time for studies. As there are many influencing factors in both home and hostel that affect student’s academic performance so this study aimed to assess and compare academic performances of students as both hostelites and day scholars. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess and compare the academic performance among day scholars & hostelites undergraduate nursing students at public teaching institutes in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODOLOGY: A comparative study was conducted in three public teaching institutes of Peshawar. The duration of study was six months from September, 2025 to December, 2025. Structured Self-Report Rating Scale (Academic Performance) was used to collect data. The data were then analyzed using SPSS version 27. RESULTS: A sample of 235 students was studied out of which 149 were hostelites and 86 were day scholars. The results of the study showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the academic performance of hostelites (mean: 28.5705, SD: 2.49663) and day scholars (mean: 28.4186, SD: 2.65448). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the academic performance of both hostelites and day scholars nursing students of public teaching institutes of Peshawar, Pakistan. Academic performance of nursing students is not affected by their residency type.