The effect of academic term length on student performance

In recent years, higher education institutions have increasingly diversified their course offerings in terms of academic term length and delivery format. This study examines the impact of term length on student performance across four foundational undergraduate business courses: marketing, quantitative methods, business law, and finance. Drawing on theories such as Goal setting and Temporal Motivation, this research seeks to explain why courses given over a shorter academic term result in better student performance. The study utilizes a quasi-experimental design with a sample of 5,974 students, comparing student performance in traditional 12 or 16-week courses to that in compressed three or six-week courses when content and assessments are consistent across term lengths. The findings indicate that shorter course lengths result in higher student performance, independent of delivery modality, and controlling for course topic/instructor. These results suggest that shortened academic term length can serve as an effective pedagogical alternative, enhancing student performance without compromising educational quality.