UNCOVERING UNDERGRADUATE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS: A STUDY OF ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL PROFILES ACROSS FOUR UNIVERSITIES USING CHI-SQUARE AND K-MODES CLUSTERING

Abstract

Quantitative understanding of relationships between students’ behavioral patterns and academic performances is a significant step towards personalized education. This study investigates behavioral patterns among undergraduate students across four universities, focusing on various behaviors like hours spent on social media, internet consultation during academic tasks, CGPA, daily study hours, preferred entertainment, and preferred mode of social interaction. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire comprising twelve categorical variables. Chi-square tests identified several significant associations, including the relationship between CGPA and daily study hours, as well as between preferred entertainment type and social interaction mode, indicating clear behavioral dependencies. K-modes clustering, with the optimal number of clusters determined via the elbow method, yielded five distinct student profiles. Cluster profiling revealed patterns such as academically focused students with limited leisure activities, socially active students with moderate academic engagement, and balanced profiles combining both strong academic performance and diverse leisure interests. These findings offer valuable insights into how behavioral tendencies correlate with academic outcomes, contributing to targeted educational strategies that address both performance enhancement and student well-being.