Academic Challenges Faced by Female Students of the Early Childhood

Abstract

This study aims to identify the level of academic challenges faced by female students of the Early Childhood Education kindergarten at the Faculty of Education, University of Misurata, from their perspective. The researcher employed the descriptive-analytical method. The study sample consisted of 50 students. The researcher used the University Academic Problems Questionnaire after validating it and verifying its psychometric properties, drawing on Al-Rouqi’s (2016) study in preparing the research instrument. The questionnaire comprised 47 items divided into four domains: (university instructor, academic advising, courses, and the student herself).The results indicated that the overall level of academic challenges was moderate. The findings also revealed no statistically significant differences in the level of academic challenges faced by students based on the variables of age and academic level. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the domains related to the university instructor, academic advising, or the student herself according to these variables. However, significant differences were observed in challenges related to courses, attributed to the variable of semester, favoring students in the seventh semester and above.Based on these findings, the researcher recommends:

• Faculty members should adopt teaching methods that emphasize diversity, incorporate modern instructional strategies, and integrate technology into the learning process.
• Professors should clearly define office hours suitable for students and activate digital communication channels (e.g., academic email or dedicated university platform groups) to facilitate access outside lecture times.
• Launch an intensive awareness campaign for new and current students regarding the academic advising program, the role of the academic advisor, and how to utilize its services, providing comprehensive and updated information on the university website as well as in printed and electronic guides.