Impact of Listening and Communication Skills on Academic Performance among Undergraduate Health Professions Students

Abstract

Background Listening and communication skills significantly influence academic performance in educational settings. They are essential for understanding information, participating effectively, and collaborating with others. Proficiency in these skills enhances student engagement, learning outcomes, and broader competencies like social skills and problemsolving. Aim: The aim of the study was to find out the impact of listening and communication skills on academic performance among undergraduate Health Professions Students. Method: The study was conducted following a cross-sectional study design and purposive sampling with face to face survey by the Listening Skills Self-Assessment Scale, to assess the level of listening skills of the students, the Communication Scale and Academic Performance Scale was used, to assess the level of communication skills and academic performance among 502 undergraduate health professions students. The inclusion criteria for the participants was running undergraduate health professions students. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 26. Results: Majority 40.4% of the students were enrolled in physiotherapy and the mean age of the participants was 22.39 ± 1.533 years. The participants were around 22.39 years old. 59.4% was female among the participants. The level of academic performance score mean was 31.56 ± 4.628, that means participants academic performance was good. The level of communication skills score mean was 54.68 ± 14.337, that means participants Abstract communication skills was good. The level of listening skills score mean was 78.98 ± 8583, that means participants listening skills was fair. The mean difference between academic performance and gender, living area, type of school before admits at BHPI, parent’s education level was not statistically significant. But The mean difference between academic performance and living with family was statistically significant. The correlation between academic performance and listening skills score was statistically significant (r=0.229, p=0.000), academic performance and communication skills score was statistically significant (r=0.282, p =.000), listening skills and communication skills score was statistically significant (r=0.148, p=0.001). Conclusion: There is need for undergraduate health professions students to increase the level of listening and communication skills to enhance their academic performance. Implementing targeted interventions and integrating communication-focused strategies into curriculum can empower students to excel academically and prepare them for future personal and professional endeavors. Keywords: Listening Skills, Communication Skills, Academic Performance, Undergraduate Health Professions Students.