The Relationship Between Part-Time Employment, Academic Performance, and Learning Quality Among Undergraduate Students: A Case Study of Students in Balkh Province

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between part-time employment, academic performance, and learning quality among undergraduate students in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational design was employed. The population comprised all undergraduate students at universities in Balkh Province during the 2024–2025 academic year (N ≈ 12,000), from which 384 employed students were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.89) and analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression in SPSS version 26. Findings revealed that 81.3% of students cited gaining work experience as the most important motivation for part-time employment, while 69.3% reported insufficient time for studying and 65.1% could not properly perform their classroom activities. Part-time employment was negatively associated with learning quality (r = -0.42), academic engagement (r = -0.38), and quantitative academic performance (r = -0.35), but positively associated with psychosocial outcomes (r = 0.46). Weekly work hours, job type, motivation, and time management collectively explained 27% of the variance in academic performance. Time management (β = 0.29) was the strongest positive predictor, and weekly work hours (β = -0.28) was the strongest negative predictor. The study concludes that part-time employment presents both opportunities (work experience, financial independence) and challenges (reduced study time, fatigue, stress) for undergraduate students. Time management appears to moderate negative associations. These findings support SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), highlighting the need for institutional support systems that balance decent work with educational quality.