Institutional Determinants of Academic Achievement in Biomedical Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nursing Students in Uganda

Clement Munguiko,1,2 Anne Chepngetich Koske Ngeno,2 Joseph Atukwatse,1 Safinnah Kisu Museene3 1Department of Nursing, Soroti University, Soroti City, Uganda; 2Department of Medical Education, Moi University, Eldoret City, Kenya; 3Department of Health Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Sports, Kampala, UgandaCorrespondence: Clement Munguiko, Email [email protected]: Mastery of foundational sciences namely, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry is essential for nursing competence, yet many undergraduate nursing students struggle with these courses.Objective: To investigate institutional factors influencing academic achievement in biomedical sciences among undergraduate nursing students in Uganda.Methods: A cross-sectional study, guided by the philosophy of critical realism, Input-Transformation-Output framework, and constructivist learning theory, was conducted at four purposively selected public universities in Uganda between April and June 2024. A total of 208 undergraduate nursing students were enrolled using the census approach. This study examined the influence of institutional factors on academic achievement in biomedical sciences, measured by the Grade Point Average (GPA). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.9366) and analysed using Welch’s analysis of variance and linear mixed-effects model.Results: Lower ratings of lecturer’s teaching quality (β = − 0.25, 95% CI: − 0.46, − 0.03, p = 0.03), online only teaching (β = − 0.41, 95% CI: − 0.75 − − 0.07, p = 0.02) and lack of constructive feedback (β = − 0.47, 95% CI: − 0.90, − 0.03, p = 0.046) were associated with lower GPA scores, while Problem Based Learning (β = 0.48, 95% CI: − 0.05– 1.91, p = 0.04) and good lecturer-student relationship (β = 0.34, 95% CI: − 0.06 to 0.62, p = 0.03) predicted higher GPA scores.Conclusion and Recommendations: Lower teaching quality, lack of feedback, and online only instruction were linked to lower GPA scores, while problem-based learning and good lecturer-student relationships predicted higher achievement. Therefore, nursing programs should prioritize strengthening lecturer’s teaching skills, providing constructive feedback, fostering positive lecturer-student relationship, and integrating Problem Based and blended teaching approaches to improve students’ academic outcomes.Keywords: sociodemographic factors, academic achievement, biomedical sciences, nursing education