Assessing the impact of frequent quizzes on student performance: reflections from a rural-based institution

In this study, action research design was used to evaluate the impact of frequent quizzes on undergraduate students’ performance from a rural based institution. Respondents were recruited and participated in the research by completing an electronic questionnaire. To further understand some of the responses given, a focused group discussion was performed. The reliability of the survey instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.80, indicating good internal consistency. Significant associations were observed between students’ place of residence and both motivation to study (χ² = 14.43, p = 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.50) and critical thinking (χ² = 36.4, p = 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.56). These findings suggest that students’ residential context (urban, rural, or peri-urban) plays an important role in fostering study motivation and critical thinking, although it does not appear to directly influence academic outcomes. Furthermore, Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between gender and the retention of course materials (χ² = 62.9, p = 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.73) as well as interaction with course content through frequent quizzes (χ² = 17.04, p = 0.03; Cramer’s V = 0.38). No other variables of concern showed significant associations with gender. No significant associations were found between age of the respondents and any of the variables under investigation (p > 0.05). Correlation analysis demonstrated strong and significant relationships between retention of course materials and academic performance (R² = 0.504, p < 0.01), improved understanding (R² = 0.585, p < 0.01), and motivation to engage with course materials (R² = 0.724, p < 0.01). Academic performance was also significantly correlated with motivation to study through course engagement (R² = 0.530, p < 0.01), reduced anxiety (R² = 0.504, p < 0.01), improved understanding (R² = 0.502, p < 0.01), and enhanced critical thinking (R² = 0.544, p < 0.01). In conclusion, well-designed and appropriately implemented frequent quizzes may positively influence students’ academic performance across diverse demographic groups.