Navigating the uncertainty: the impact of a student-centered final year project allocation mechanism on student performance

Abstract The Final Year Project (FYP) is one of the most important courses for every undergraduate student, and the effective operation of the FYPs in higher education still faces challenges, such as uneven resource distribution and limited efficiency. This study reports a mixed-methods approach to study the impact of a student-centered FYP allocation mechanism on student performance. This research aims to investigate how aligning students’ FYP choices with their interests can inspire motivation and enhance academic performance. More importantly, this mechanism improves students’ academic resilience, enabling them to navigate unexpected contextual factors. The study’s findings take into account various aspects, including student satisfaction with the allocation process, future improvement methods, and the relationship between interest and context. The outcomes observed in this study support our hypotheses, indicating the improvements in students’ academic performance as well as the pass and completion rates. Moreover, this research contributes to ‘resilience theory’ by exploring students’ adaptability to contextual changes and their enhancement of academic resilience. This study proposes recommendations for cultivating a dynamic student-centered classroom environment. Future work could pay attention to addressing the limitations of this study, exploring other factors influencing FYP allocation, and integrating more quantitative measures for a comprehensive assessment of its impact.