Students’ Perception of the Learning Support Center in Abu Dhabi University and its Impact on their Academic Achievement

Abstract

Learning Support Centers in universities play a very significant role in enhancing students learning and their retention. The current study is determined to examine students’ perception of Learning Support Center in Abu Dhabi University and its impact on their academic achievements. The first phase of the research will focus on a survey conducted through a questionnaire to measure student perception of the existing Learning Support Center in Abu Dhabi University (ADU LSC). During the second phase, the research will examine the positive impact of the Learning Support Center on students’ academic achievement. Pretest and post-test designs will be used to reveal the degree of change occurring in students’ academic achievements. This paper is expected to provide useful information to the academic community to advocate and design programs to transform Learning Support Centers (LSCs) at university level, and simultaneously help undergraduate students to cope with their initial academic challenges as they transition from secondary school education into tertiary education. The unique specialty of this research is that, the study will be the first of its kind to examine students’ perceptions of the LSC as well as its impact on their academic achievement. The study will also suggest recommendations to fill the void of empirical evidence about the effectiveness of the LSC program running at ADU.