Exploring Academic Difficulties Facing First-Year Undergraduate Students at the Institute of Adult Education, Tanzania

The purpose of this study was to explore the academic difficulties faced by undergraduate students during their first year of studies at the Institute of Adult Education in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed in the study and purposive sampling technique was applied. Fifty (50) first-year students and 6 facilitators were interviewed in 2018. The interviews were conducted according to the principles of in-depth interview. A semi-structured interview schedule and tape recorder was used to ensure accuracy of the research. The findings indicated that academic writing, was an extremely daunting one. The participants also revealed that most first year students have either very little, or no computer literacy and, consequently, are either unable to gain access to materials from the library and other internet sources. They also explained that they find referencing, in the form of both in-text citations and compiling lists of references, very difficult. Other difficulties were workload and transition challenges. The comments made by the students and facilitators could be considered by the institute to improve quality of education during the first year of study