| dc.description.abstract | Background: Globally, there continues to be a severe shortage of healthcare professionals, especially in midwifery. Uganda faces a notably high ratio of midwives to mothers. Despite numerous efforts aimed at addressing this gap, the effectiveness of midwifery education programs significantly influences the skills of healthcare providers yet nursing students encounter several challenges that hinder their academic success. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing the academic performance of midwifery students at Kabale School of Comprehensive Nursing. Methods: This study employed an explanatory mixed methods among 65 diploma midwifery students, including both full-time and e-learning students, alongside tutors, clinical instructors, and mentors. Quantitative data was gathered through self-administered questionnaires and academic record reviews, complemented by qualitative data from interviews to contextualize the quantitative findings. The students were sampled via a census, and qualitative participants were purposively selected. Descriptive data analysis was used, and performance between learner groups was compared using the Mann-Whitney test and fishers exact test. Linear regression identified performance factors, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Results: Findings showed that, the full-time learners had a Mean age of 29.11 (SD=1.717), and e-learners had Mean age of 30.25 (SD=2.502) with significant differences in the marital status (X² = 7.19, p = 0.027). A majority 21 (47%) of the full-time learners worked in private organizations while the least 5(11%) were not employed. There were slightly more 8 (40%) civil servants among the e-learners while the rest were almost the same. Most, 20 (44%) full-timers had a longer (7-10 years) working experience than the e-learners 10(50%) and received financial support from their spouses while most 9 (45%) e-learners, paid tuition fees for themselves. The overall mean scores were similar for both full-time (70.7) and e-learners (72.3), with no significant difference in performance (U = 1.12, p = 0.265), except in the Midwifery I course, where e-learners outperformed full-time students (mean scores of 78.7 vs. 71.5, p = 0.001). Age was significantly associated with academic performance, with students aged 31-35 years scoring 3.199 marks lower on average than those aged 25-30 years. The tutor-student ratio was more than 1:50 for both groups. Full-time students received more frequent supervision, than e-learners. Availability of learning materials and supportive management positively impacted the academic performance of both groups. Tutors' qualifications, work experience, and computer use positively correlated with student performance, though students taught by diploma holders showed slightly lower performance. Conclusion Both full-time and e-learning approaches proved effective for midwifery training, with no significant overall performance difference. Tutor-student ratios and supportive supervision were beneficial, particularly for full-time students. Tutor and mentor attitudes significantly affected learner performance. Recommendations: Effective mentoring by experienced tutors is crucial for student academic performance. Blended learning should be encouraged and institutions should strengthen support supervision skills and academic outcomes. | en_US |
