SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE,MATRICULATION GRADES,AND GROUP INTERVIEW AS PREDICTORS OF PERFORMANCE IN NURSING SCHOOL

This study examines the predictive validity of three commonly used nursing school admission indices, that is, scholastic aptitude test scores, matriculation grades, and evaluations of performance in a group interview situation, in a sample of 321 Israeli nursing school students. Grade point average, supervisor evaluation of clinical internship, and scores on a government certification exam served as primary indices of criterion performance. Whereas composite aptitude test scores correlated moder ately with both grade point average and certification exam scores, matriculation grades correlated negligibly with all three criterion measures. Group interview ratings correlated moderately with clinical performance, but negligibly with the remaining criteria. Aptitude test scores were not found to be biased predictors of criterion performance by ethnicity or social background. The implications of these findings for the selection of nursing school candidates in Israel are discussed.     

Do grades and tests predict adult accomplishment?

The relationship of measures of academic ability and grades with high level accomplishment was examined by reviewing a wide ranging literature. This literature included studies of the highly creative, scientists and technicians, physicians, high- and middle-level managers, and high school and college students. The Terman studies of the gifted were also reviewed. Finally, studies of occupational attainment and income were examined. A very wide variety of criteria were used in these studies. In general, the studies demonstrated low positive relationships between academic aptitude and/or grades and accomplishment. The closer the content of the measure of academic aptitude to the demands of the field, the stronger the relationship.     

Academic Aptitude,Study Skills,and Attitudes and College GPA

Abstract

As an initial step in the development of a study techniques program, this research examined some of the factors which contribute to college success. Tests of academic skills and attitudes were administered to 154 college freshmen. Analyses of variance and multiple linear regressions indicated that academic aptitude, study skills, and attitudes contribute to college success. Results also suggest that females obtain higher grades than males because females study more efficiently and accept academic standards more willingly. Polynomial regressions revealed non-monotonic relationships among study orientation, academic aptitude, and college grades. Within certain ranges, an increase in aptitude coincided with a decrease in study orientation. Thus within certain ranges, an increase in aptitude resulted in a decrease in grades.     

Scholastic Aptitude,the National Teacher Examinations,and Teaching Success

Abstract

This study tests the hypotheses that (1) grades in high school and college as well as scores on nationally-standardised tests of scholastic aptitude and professional knowledge (National Teacher Examinations, NTE) do not predict rated success in teaching, but that (2) scholastic aptitude and achievement do predict scores on the NTE. In a sample of 280 student teachers, evidence was found to support both of these hypotheses     

An Empirical Keying Approach to Academic Prediction with the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey,

The present study was conducted to establish a scoring key for the Guilford Zimmerman Temperament Survey appropriate for predicting academic performance. To maximize reliability of criterion data, academic performance was operationally defined as cumulative college grade point average based on a minimum of four semesters’ course work. The scoring key developed was predictive of academic performance (cross validated r = .39, p <.01). The magnitude of the relationship between scores on this key and cumulative grade point average compares favorably with the validities reported for the widely used academic aptitude tests in predicting the same criterion. Lesser relationships were observed between scores on the ten publisher-supplied scales and college grades. Results point to the utility of non-cognitive measures in predicting academic performance, particularly when keys tailored to the specific situation are empirically derived. Suggestions for future research are advanced.     

Approaches to Studying and Perceptions of the Academic Environment in Students Following Problem-Based and Subject-Based Curricula

To investigate the effects of different kinds of curriculum, the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and a short form of the Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) were administered to 225 2nd-year students at six different schools of occupational therapy. Their curricula were classified as problem-based, subject-based or hybrid. Their scores on the scales of the CEQ and ASI were closely related, insofar as they shared more than half of their respective variance. Problem-based curricula were associated with higher scores on the scales of the CEQ concerned with appropriate assessment and emphasis on independence. With the ASI, problem-based curricula were associated with lower scores on all of the scales concerned with a reproducing orientation, and with higher scores on the scale concerned with a deep approach. These findings suggest that the implementation of a problem-based curriculum has desirable effects on the quality of learning, and these are at least in part mediated by students' perceptions of their academic environment.     

Schooling effects on degree performance: A comparison of the predictive validity of aptitude testing and secondary school grades at Oxford University

This article examines the cause of school type effects upon gaining a first class degree at Oxford University, whereby for a given level of secondary school performance, private school students perform less well at degree level. We compare the predictive power of an aptitude test and secondary school grades (GCSEs) for final examination performance, using data from the Oxford Admissions Study. Both metrics are predictive of final degree performance but the school effects are only statistically robust for arts students. Private school students perform less well in final examinations relative to their GCSE results when compared with state school students, but they do not under perform relative to their aptitude test scores or in gross terms. It is therefore argued that teaching effects, associated with private school students, distort secondary school grades as an indicator of academic potential in higher education when compared to state school students.     

A Study of College Dropouts with Respect to Academic and Personality Variables

Abstract

This Is a study of dropouts with respect to verbal scores of School and College Ability Tests and personality scores of the Gordon Personal Profile and the Gordon Personal Inventory.

The sample consisted of 1,263 college freshmen. The statistical procedure used was the t-test.

High academic aptitude students differed from low academic aptitude students beyond .001 level of confidence on verbal scores of the SCAT. Statistically significant evidence was found between dropouts and students who remained in college on several personality variables-trustful and tolerant, perseverant, inquiring, energetic, vigorous, calm and collected, and cautious.

High academic aptitude students are more likely to remain in college than low academic aptitude students. Low academic aptitude students are more homogeneous with respect to personality variables than high academic aptitude students.     

The nonretention of capable women engineering students

This study investigated aptitude, achievement, and retention patterns among 273 women and 1,953 male students who entered engineering at The University of Texas at Austin as freshmen in the fall semesters of 1974–1977. Academic and attrition records were maintained through the fall of 1978 for the sample. Multiple regression techniques were used to predict both academic achievement and retention on the basis of college entrance scores and high school rank. In addition, first-year grade-point average was included as a predictor of retention. The Mathematics Achievement Test, Level I, emerged as primary predictor of cumulative grade-point average for both men and women, and first year grade-point average the best single predictor of retention for men, but combined with entrance scores for retention prediction among women. Academic performance was more easily predicted for women than men, but retention was more easily predicted for men. Female nonretainees in engineering score higher on all variables than male nonretainees, and female retainees make similar grades to male retainees. More capable women than men are transferring to other majors within the University, especially to the natural sciences. Unlike men, women leaving engineering and the University did not do so for academic failure. This study suggests that a support system developed to counsel women in engineering might contribute positively to their retention.     

The relationship of reading attitudes to academic aptitude,locus of control,and field independence

The relationship between eight dimensions of reading attitude and measures of academic aptitude, locus of control, and field independence was investigated for sample of 322 inner-city Detroit fifth graders. Verbal academic aptitude correlated significantly with the Expressed Reading Difficulty, Reading Anxiety, Silent vs. Oral Reading, and Reading as Enjoyment reading attitude dimensions, while nonverbal academic aptitude correlated with Expressed Reading Difficulty and Reading Anxiety. The Expressed Reading Difficulty, Reading Anxiety, Reading Group, Reading as Direct Reinforcement, and Reading as Enjoyment dimensions were significantly related to the I+ score; reading attitudes were not related to the I- score. Only the Expressed Reading Difficulty dimension correlated with field independence. The meaning of these relationships was discussed.     

Long-range course planning by college students

A group of 633 college students at a large midwestern public university was asked fifteen questions pertaining to personal long-term course planning. The results indicated that only 48% of the students sketched out a tentative listing of at least two courses per term for one or more subsequent semesters when first planning courses for the current semester. Long-range planning was positively correlated with the number of years students had already spent in college and with students' perception of the following factors: course planning utility, degree of certainty about pursuing one's current first choice of career, and degree of commitment in using college coursework as a means of achieving a career goal (all p < 0.001). Long-range planning was negatively correlated with the anticipation of a possible change in academic interests. Such planning was not significantly correlated with students' entrance examination aptitude scores or grade point averages. Thus, students' long-range planning of courses was associated more strongly with career commitment than with recent academic performance or aptitude.     

Moving Beyond the Brag Sheet: A Meta-Analysis of Biodata Measures Predicting Student Outcomes

Measures of biographical data, or biodata, provide indicators of one's life history and past experiences. Biodata information is often available in various forms during processes of academic admissions to higher education. Such information can be used, in combination with other factors, to predict students’ future academic and extra-curricular accomplishments. There is a scattered body of literature investigating relationships between standardized biodata measures and a number of student criteria in college. The current study uses meta-analysis methods to summarize findings on how various biodata measures—overall scores or scale scores—predict student accomplishments, including grades, self- and other-rated performances, persistence, and extracurricular accomplishments. Data from 46 independent samples, consisting of 38,478 students and resulting in 74 individual predictor–criterion relationships were analyzed. Results indicate, generally, that biodata measures predict substantially students’ academic and extra-curricular accomplishments. Overall biodata scores correlate with grades at .39, persistence at .25, and point-hour ratios at .35. Students’ accomplishments in leadership, visual and performing arts, music, and science were predicted best by biodata measures developed specifically to target those outcomes. This meta-analytic study provides support for the predictive validity of biographical data inventories with respect to student outcomes and adds justification to the use of biodata in academic selection.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS READMITTED FOLLOWING ACADEMIC SUSPENSION

The study was an investigation of the usefulness of 50 variables in predicting the academic performance of 86 students readmitted to Bronx Community College following academic suspension. The variables included scores on the City University of New York placement tests, the Maudsley Personality Inventory, and the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes. Other variables included 8 educational history items, 20 biographical items, and students' opinions about the contribution of 12 factors to their previous academic failure. The criterion measure was the academic performance (pass or fail) in the re‐entry semester.

The principal conclusions to be derived from this study are that, for the population of academic failures characterized by average high school achievement and average scholastic aptitude, specific academic skills are important, past academic record seems unimportant, and a general factor called incentive seems important in the attainment of passing grades upon readmission.     

Longitudinal reciprocal effects between teachers’ judgments of students’ aptitude,students’ motivation,and grades in math

We investigated whether teachers’ judgments of students’ aptitude had reciprocal effects on students’ motivation and math grades. We expected that teachers’ judgments of students’ aptitude would predict students’ grades and motivation, and that teachers’ judgments would also be predicted by these two aspects. A sample of N = 519 elementary school students was investigated at four measurement occasions from the end of third until the end of fourth grade. Students reported their self-concepts and intrinsic task values in math. Teachers (N = 27) judged students’ aptitude in math and provided students’ math grades. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed that students’ prior grades and prior self-concepts (but not intrinsic task values) had positive effects on teachers’ subsequent judgments of student aptitude. Also, teachers’ prior judgments of student aptitude predicted students’ subsequent grades but not motivation. The findings underscore the importance of teachers’ judgments for students’ achievement development and give insights into which students’ motivational variables influence teachers’ perceptions of students’ aptitude.     

Effects of childhood setting and interaction with nature on academic performance in introductory college-level courses in the environmental sciences

This study explored the relationships between student background and academic performance in college introductory environmental science (ES) courses at a large U.S. research university with the premise that this analysis may inform teaching practices, curricula, and efforts to increase retention. We surveyed over 700 students across eleven introductory ES courses and used multiple linear mixed-effects regressions to model the data. We found that students who grew up in rural settings or who had frequent childhood interactions with natural environments earned higher grades, on average, than students from urban settings or with fewer childhood interactions with natural environments. Our results indicate that students reporting frequent childhood interactions with forests, for example, were projected to earn grades up to 1.5 letter grades higher in these courses than students with no such interactions. In addition, students with frequent childhood interactions with nature were likelier to report that such interactions helped them in their ES course, suggesting that these students may recognize the value of these experiences. Greater interest in the subject matter also correlated with higher ES course grades, whereas amount of prior ES coursework did not. We discuss the possible implications of these correlations for ES academic performance and educational practice.     

A comparison among three experimental education programs

The primary characteristics of the three programs are used to compare participants to each other and to a group of students in the regular curriculum: (1) development of logical thought, (2) broader educational development, and, (3) career development, as well as selected academic characteristics (grades academic aptitude). The programs and their evaluations are described. The outcomes claimed for each program occurred more frequently in that program than in the comparison groups. The absence of differences in grades, despite differences in academic ability and in extent of program involvement, is interpreted as further evidence of the insensitivity of grades. The question of generality of the results is explored briefly.     

Students classified as LD and the college foreign language requirement: replication and comparison studies

Two studies examined students classified as having learning disabilities (LD) who had received course substitutions for the college foreign language (FL) requirement. In the first study, 42 students at one university were divided into groups and compared on measures of IQ, academic achievement, FL aptitude, college grade point average (GPA), and FL and English grades. Findings showed that most of the 42 students had been classified as LD in college after experiencing problems in FL courses. Comparisons based on students' performance on measures of FL aptitude, native language skill, and performance in FL courses showed few significant group differences. In the second study, the 42 students from the first study were compared with 86 students at another university who had also been classified as LD and received course substitutions for the college FL requirement. Comparisons on demographic information and measures of IQ, academic achievement, FL aptitude, college GPA, and FL GPA showed few significant differences between the two groups. Both studies suggest that students classified as LD at different universities exhibit similar demographic, cognitive, academic achievement, and FL aptitude profiles and that educators should not make the a priori assumption that students classified as LD require course substitutions for the FL requirement or experience problems with FL learning.     

Academic achievement and personality traits of faculty members of Indian agricultural universities: their effect on teaching and research performance

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to assess academic achievement, teaching aptitude and research attitude of Indian agricultural universities’ faculty, to predict indicators for successful teachers and researchers, and thereby enhancing the quality of higher agricultural education. Methodology: Five hundred faculty members were selected to elicit information on academic, teaching and research achievements. Teaching aptitude and attitude of faculty towards research were measured through standard psychometric tests. Correlation and regression analysis was carried out to establish the relationship among selected variables. Findings: Combination of academic achievement and teaching aptitude was a superior predictor for the teaching achievement compared to either of them alone. Similarly, research achievement of faculty was predicted better by the combination of academic achievement and research attitude. Practical Implications: The study showed the need for training faculty members in interpersonal relationships for effective teaching, and in research methodology and research processes for improving research attitude of faculty. Theoretical Implications: The expectancy-value model provides a useful framework to understand the role of attitude/aptitude in better prediction of research and teaching behavior. Originality/Value: The present study showed that teaching aptitude and research attitude be considered along with academic achievements for promoting quality teaching and research and hence the educational programmes.     

MOTIVATIONAL BELIEFS AND LEARNING STRATEGIES IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Students enter college chemistry courses with different sources of motivation, appropriate or inappropriate assumptions about their probability of success and how to study. This study is theoretically aligned with self-regulated learning research. Clearly, academic performance is closely related to student motivational beliefs and learning strategies. This study investigated the motivational beliefs and learning strategies of 2 years of college students in the second semester of organic chemistry. Responses to the Motivational Beliefs and Learning Strategies Questionnaire indicated that student self-efficacy was highly correlated with academic performance (semester grades). Gender differences were quite pronounced. Male academic performance was associated with intrinsic motivation as well as the importance placed on the learning task. Test anxiety was negatively associated with male grades. Extrinsic motivation was negatively correlated with female grades. Responses to students’ sense of control over learning, the value of the learning task, and self-efficacy were significantly higher for males compared to females. Faculty who attend to these different patterns may influence beliefs as well as learning strategies. Correcting erroneous assumptions about how to learn chemistry may help students shift both their attitudes and their learning practices. The notable gender difference suggests that female chemistry students may especially profit from focused faculty intervention.     

Executive functioning predicts academic achievement in middle school: A four-year longitudinal study

Executive functioning (EF) is a strong predictor of children's and adolescents' academic performance. Although research indicates that EF can increase during childhood and adolescence, few studies have tracked the effect of EF on academic performance throughout the middle school grades. EF was measured at the end of Grades 6–9 through 21 teachers' and 22 teacher assistants' assessments of 322 adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds who attended an urban, chartered middle/high school. Assessment of EF was done through the completion of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). BRIEF global executive composite scores (GEC) predicted both current and future English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and Spanish annual grade point averages (GPAs). The effect of BRIEF GEC scores often overshadowed the effects of gender, poverty, and having an individual education plan; the other, non–BRIEF-related effects retained slightly more impact among teacher assistant–derived data than teacher-derived data. The strong relationships between BRIEF GEC scores and these GPAs also remained constant over these 4 years: There was little evidence that EF changed over the measured grades or that the relationship between EF and grades itself regularly changed. The findings indicate that EF scores during early middle grades can well predict academic performance in subsequent secondary-school grades. Although methodological constraints may have impeded the abilities of other factors (i.e., poverty) to be significantly related to GPAs, the effects of EF were strong and robust enough to prompt us to recommend its use to guide long-term, academic interventions.