Exploring Academic Challenges of BBS Students in Public Colleges: An Evidence from Pokhara Valley, Nepal

Abstract

Background: BBS students enrolled in public colleges of Pokhara Valley, Nepal face persistent academic underperformance characterised by high course failure, course repetition, delayed graduation, and significant dropout. The study identifies systemic underfunding and governance failures as primary contributors to this crisis, yet students' lived experiences remain systematically underexplored.

Methods: This study adopted an interpretivism paradigm and a phenomenological research design. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 purposively sampled BBS students and 4 faculty key informants across three public colleges in Pokhara Valley. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis framework.

Results: Five major themes emerged: (1) Institutional Resource Deficits: inadequate libraries, non-functional computer labs, overcrowded classrooms, and chronic examination delays linked to Tribhuvan University's centralised examination system; (2) Pedagogical and Curricular Limitations: exclusive lecture-based instruction and an outdated curriculum; (3) Socio-Economic Pressures: part-time work averaging 20 hours weekly and severe financial hardship; (4) Psychological Consequences: demotivation, anxiety, and dropout ideation; and (5) Coping Strategies: peer study groups, question bank reliance, private tutoring, and universal use of AI tools.

Conclusion: Academic challenges among BBS students in Nepal's public colleges are systemic, not individual. Meaningful improvement requires urgent institutional reform in infrastructure, pedagogy, curriculum, and student support systems.

Novelty: This study provides the first phenomenological account of BBS students' academic experiences in Pokhara Valley, Nepal, contextualised within Nepal's specific higher education governance challenges, and documents AI tool dependency as a novel coping mechanism in a resource-constrained Global South context.