Assessing the challenges of distance learning nursing mothers on academic work in the University of Education Winneba, Kumasi campus

Abstract

Student mothers play the roles of being mothers, workers and students simultaneously and these come with a lot of challenges as they pursue higher education. These challenges sometimes kill the innate desire for them to pursue education to the highest level. The primary purpose of this research work is to identify the challenges of student nursing mothers offering distance education at University of Education Winneba, Kumasi Campus. The study employed descriptive survey research design. Using purposive sampling, sixty student-mothers with babies below five years, who agreed to take part in the survey, were sampled. These mothers were pursuing diploma programmes in Basic Education, Early Childhood Education and Management Studies; and Post Diploma programmes in Basic Education, Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education and English Language Education. The data gathered were analyzed using frequency counts, mean and standard deviations. The student-mothers indicated that the university authorities do not permit student-mothers to enter lecture halls with their babies; there are no facilities provided by the university to keep their babies; they intermittently cut lectures to attend to their babies; they did not feel psychologically sound in the absence of their babies and that they are not able to write comprehensive lecture notes with their babies around them at lectures. Again, the study showed that quite often; their babies cry to disturb them when learning at home; they breastfeed their babies alongside learning; they get no help with their babies when learning and they are not able to study well due to tiredness from family and child-care roles. On their academics, they agreed that they are not able to attend lectures punctually and regularly; they do not get enough time to study or attend group studies; they are not able to prepare well for examinations and that their student-mother roles are responsible for their bad grades in school.