Effective Teaching Approaches to Enhance Understanding among
University Students
Nik Zam Nik-Wan, Syuhaila Razak, Suzana San, Noraida Saidi and Siti Dalina Tumiran
Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kelantan,Bukit Ilmu Machang, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Keywords: Academic performance, Effective Teaching.
Abstract: Students’ academic performance plays a vital role in producing the best quality graduates who will form the
major source of human capital. Their ability to practically apply what they have learnt during lectures
promotes the quality of their learning process further. Unfortunately, students sometimes faced some
difficulties in understanding the lessons taught by their lecturers. Failure to understand what have been taught
could cause the students to easily forget not only what they have learnt in university once they graduated but
they also tend to forget what they have learnt in the earlier semester and interrupt the progression of the
learning process throughout their academic years. This preliminary study aims to identify the real essence of
the problems faced by the students in understanding the lessons taught during lectures. Understanding their
experiences and listening to their opinions and suggestions could probably reveal the teaching and learning
approaches that would truthfully solve their learning problems effectively. This preliminary study employed
qualitative approach utilising focus group discussion. It was known that lack of focus during lectures could
disrupt students’ ability to understand the lessons. Once the effective teaching and learning approaches are
identified, it can be developed into teaching techniques, modules or tools that will be usable by the lecturers
to improve their teaching and learning processes.
1 INTRODUCTION
Students’ academic performance plays a significant
role in producing the best quality graduates who will
form the major source of human capital. They will
also be responsible for country’s economic and social
development (Mushtaq & Khan 2012, Ali et al. 2013).
The academic performance of students studying in
higher institutions is commonly being evaluated
based on their Grade Point Average (GPA) and
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Even
though academic performance is not the ultimate
criteria viewed by the industries in employing new
recruits, it is still a key criterion that students need to
achieve in order to obtain their qualifications either
for Diploma, Bachelor or Master Degree.
Furthermore, their ability to practically apply
what they have learnt during lectures would promote
also the quality of their learning process further.
Unfortunately, students sometimes faced some
difficulties in understanding the lessons taught by
their lecturers. Failure to understand what have been
taught could cause the students to easily forget not
only what they have learnt in university once they
graduated but they also tend to forget what they have
learnt in the earlier semester and interrupt the
progression of the learning process throughout their
academic years.
This preliminary study aims to identify the real
essence of the problems faced by the students in
understanding the lessons taught during lectures.
Understanding their experiences and listening to their
opinions and suggestions could probably reveal the
teaching and learning approaches that would
truthfully solve their learning problems effectively.
Once the effective teaching and learning approaches
are identified, it can be developed into teaching
techniques, modules or tools that will be usable by the
lecturers to improve their teaching and learning
processes.
Nik-Wan, N., Razak, S., San, S., Saidi, N. and Tumiran, S.
Effective Teaching Approaches to Enhance Understanding among University Students.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (ICEEE 2017), pages 503-507
ISBN: 978-989-758-308-7
Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
503

2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Özpeynirci et al. (2013) notify that students who do
not understand the content of lessons are unable to see
the whole picture of the course and this led to
students’ failure in accounting lessons. Michelene et
al. (1989) identified that ‘good’ students learn with
understanding and they can generate many
explanations guided by their accurate monitoring of
their own understanding. Whereas ‘poor’ students do
not generate sufficient self-explanations, failed to
monitor their learning accurately, and subsequently
rely heavily an example.
However, the learning process is a complex
process because it requires full commitment from the
students. Hence, the full support from the university
includes providing a good learning environment is a
must. Barbra (2006) found a strong correlation exist
between learning facilities and students achievement.
Previous studies also suggested that the quality of the
learning facilities showed a positive impact on the
performance of the students (Mushtaq & Nawaz Khan
2012, Lumpkin 2013, Mersha et al. 2013, Korir &
Kipkemboi 2014). On the other hand, Harb & El-
Shaarwi (2006) found that the most important factor
that would affect students’ performance is their
competency in English. Students that possess good
English communications and understanding skills
would have better academic performance
Additionally, Uline & Tschannen-Moran (2008)
revealed that students could not focus on lectures
when having classes in inadequate facilities in term
of air temperature and quality, lighting, acoustical
control as well as school design classifications and
features. Mark (2002) concluded that spatial
configurations, noise, heat, cold, light and air quality
could effect on students’ and lecturers’ ability to
perform well. Saidi et al (2015) notify students’
required environment includes the classrooms which
are conducive with air-conditioner or fan, spacious
room with enough tables and chairs as well as far
from noisy areas which can disturb the learning
process.
Texas Women’s University (TWU n.d.) identified
that students’ concentration is most often affected by
three factors namely priorities and attitudes,
environment and individual physical condition.
Boredom and dislike, large tasks, motivations,
anxiety, daydreaming and personal worries are some
of the internal things that can disrupt students’
concentration. Meanwhile University of New
England (UNE n.d.) informs that students’ ability to
concentrate depends on their interest in the subject or
activity, their motivation, level of relaxation or
enjoyment and level of distraction either from the
environment or from their own thoughts.
Raychaudhuri et al (2010) stated that the presence
of trained teacher in school had positively influenced
the student’s academic performance in addition to a
low ratio of teacher-student because teacher can take
care of students in class very well. In contrast, Rasul
& Bukhsh (2011) found that lack of proper guidance
from lecturers affects negatively towards their
performance in examination (Mushtaq & Nawaz
Khan, 2012).
Alos et al. (2015) conducted a research to identify
the factors affecting academic performance of the
student nurses. They identified that teacher-related
factor which included teacher expertise of the subject
matter and ways of lectures being conducted pose
high impact of the students’ academic performance
followed by study habits and school related factors.
Mushtaq & Khan (2012) notified that proper guidance
which included the guidance from the parents and
teachers show a positive impact on the student
performance. There is also positive perception on the
influence of teacher-related factor on students’
academic achievement (Leng, 2006).
Consequently, lecturer competency, teaching
methods and quality of learning materials had a
positive influence on students’ academic
achievements (Yousef 2016). Meanwhile, Handy &
Poliment (2015) suggest that active learning is an
effective learning tool that could increase student
understanding and retention. According to Baeten et
al. (2016) most students preferred teacher direction,
cooperative learning and knowledge construction and
student-centre-learning is identified to enable deep
understanding within students.
3 METHODS
This preliminary study employed qualitative
approach utilising focus group discussion to identify
the problems faced by the students in understanding
the lessons taught during lectures as well the teaching
and learning approaches preferred to solve the
problems notified. The focus group was formed based
on their ability to answer several questions related to
accounting courses that was designed according to
level of difficulties. The focus group comprised of
twenty (20) students enrolled in Diploma in
Accountancy in Universiti Teknologi MARA
(UiTM) Kelantan Branch. Students were asked to
notify the problems that they faced during lectures
which would disrupt their focus and learning
capabilities. Qualitative information collected during
ICEEE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Economic Education and Entrepreneurship
504

this study was coded and analysed using Microsoft
Excel. Microsoft Excel were considered to be
appropriate because it enable the researcher to
analyse the data in the original language in which the
focus group discussion were conducted and without
the need for transcripts to be translated first prior to
the analysis where it would lost its ‘originality’.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Feedback received from the focus group were
analysed and coded to form several themes which
summarised the problems faced by the participants in
understanding the lessons taught during lectures.
4.1 Physical and Mental Health
Physical health and mental state of the students seems
to be the main criteria that could distract their focus
during lectures and disrupt their ability to understand
the lessons taught during classes. Seven of the
participants mentioned that they were very stress
when too many assignments and assessments were
cramped at the end of the semester. During lectures,
they were thinking too much about the tasks to be
completed and did not focus on the lessons taught.
Sleepless nights spent to prepare the assignments and
assessments had distracted their focus during lectures.
Meanwhile five of the participants stated that they
cannot focus during lectures because they were
worried about monetary issue which relates to
expensive textbooks, house rental and increased cost
of basic necessity such as food.
Students also cannot concentrate during lectures
when their physical health and condition are poor.
Five of the participants brought up the issue that they
cannot concentrate during class because they were
hungry. Rushing to morning classes caused them to
miss their breakfast. Tight classes schedules prevent
the participants to take some meals since they had to
rush from one class to another class. Usually, this
issue had already taken into consideration when the
classes’ schedules were constructed. However, when
lecturers decided to conduct replacement as well as
additional classes they might overlook the
interruption on the students’ timetables. In connection
to the monetary issue, there are participants who cut
off their budget by cutting down their food
consumption.
Furthermore, classes which were conducted under
tight schedules coupled with replacement and
additional classes, it had dragged the class hours to
late in the evening causing the students to be too
exhausted to even listen to any lecture. The
participants mentioned that their tiredness during
daytime because of too many classes had made them
to be too tired to do revision at night as well. Because
of that they were unable to revise what they have
learnt earlier as well as to prepare for the new topic to
be learnt next day.
4.2 Surrounding Environment
In support of previous literatures (Mark 2002, Saidi
et al. 2015, Uline & Tschannen-Moran 2008) the
participants also noted that classrooms atmosphere,
classrooms facilities and teaching and learning
facilities did disturb the learning process. The
weather which was too hot accompanied by
malfunction air-conditioners or fans in the classrooms
had disturbed their level of concentration that
influenced their level of understanding on the lesson
taught by the lecturer. One participant mentioned that
inadequate teaching and learning facilities such as
LCD projectors could also disturbed their learning
process since the lecturers’ efforts are limited and the
cannot fully mobilized the teaching approaches as
planned.
4.3 Lecturers’ Attitude and Characters
Undeniable, lecturers play important roles in students
learning process. Lecturers’ attitudes, characters as
well as teaching techniques could influence students
learning process positively or even negatively.
“I prefer the lecturer who provides details
explanation about certain topics. Because sometimes
lecturers would assume that students already knew
what they are going to teach and they did not provide
detailed explanations”.
[Translated Transcript: Participant: XXX- 4197]
“I personally dislike when some lecturers keep on
saying [“you have learnt the topics before, how can
you forget?”] And that the topics had being taught
two to three semester ago. In the meantime we took
various subjects with hundreds of formulas and
methods to be remembered. Different student[s]
different capabilities. Maybe some can recall but
most can’t. Show us guide us so we can be better”.
[Original Transcript: Participant: XXX- 7524]
Lecturers’ behaviours could discourage and
demotivate the students in the learning process and it
Effective Teaching Approaches to Enhance Understanding among University Students
505

could happened unintentionally without the lecturers
realising it.
“Students are afraid to ask the lecturer if they did not
understand because the lecturer will ask them back or
the lecturer would ask the student to go back and
study”.
[Translated Transcript: Participant: XXX- 0587]
“When we asked questions on the area that we did not
understand, the lecturer asked us to go back and read
back the book. We as students, when we were told to
do that, then we did not want to asked question
anymore”.
[Translated Transcript: Participant: XXX- 4596]
5 CONCLUSIONS
It was known that lack of focus during lectures could
disrupt students’ ability to understand the lessons
taught. However, the possible reasons that could lead
to loss of focus are yet to be discussed. It was
identified in this preliminary study that students’
physical and mental health and surrounding
environment such as weather; noise could steal away
the students’ attention during class. Undeniable,
lecturers play important roles in students learning
process. Lecturers’ attitudes, characters as well as
teaching techniques could influence students learning
process positively or even negatively.
However, since this study is at it preliminary stage
and limited to a specific time scope more participants
are considered to be necessary for future research.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The study is financially supported by ARAS research
grant, 600-IRMI/DANA /5/3/ARAS (0160/2016)
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.
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