Predictors of first year retention rates at the university of the West Indies,Jamaica

This study examines first year retention rates of First degree entrants in the academic year 2014-15. Level of academic preparation was operationalized as pass/failure on the English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) and matriculation status (normal/lower entry). Variables that were strong predictors of retention were scholarship status and matriculation status. Residential status proved to be statistically significant, while sex, total courses passed in high school, and English Language Proficiency status were statistically non-significant. Future studies need to examine retention of non-traditional students and predictor variables reflective of attribution theory and locus of control.     

The effects of self-explanation training on students' problem solving in high-school mathematics

The performance of a group of grade 9 mathematics students trained to use a self-explanation procedure during study of a new theorem in geometry was compared with that of students who used their usual study procedures. The processing activities used by the students during the study session and those used in a subsequent problem-solving test were observed. The focus of analysis on both occasions was on the knowledge access, knowledge generation, management and elaboration activities used by students. The self-explanation group showed more frequent use of each type of activity and also obtained higher scores on the problem-solving test. The difference in post-test performance of the groups was greatest on a set of far-transfer items. These items required the students to extend their use of the newly learned theorem to problem types that were substantially different from those presented in the original study material. Of particular note was the carryover effect of self-explanation training to students' processing in the subsequent problem-solving session. The relationships among the processing activities, students' beliefs, prior knowledge and post-test performance were examined using a partial least-squares path analysis procedure. Use of the self-explanation method had an indirect effect on performance, this effect being mediated by associated knowledge access and knowledge generation activity. There was no direct effect of method on performance. The strongest predictor of performance was the level of knowledge generation activity during which students showed evidence of making novel connections, either within the newly presented study material or between parts of that material and their existing geometry knowledge. In the final path model derived from the analysis of student performance, the students' prior knowledge measure had both a weak direct on their problem-solving performance and an effect on that performance that was mediated by relationships with the knowledge access and knowledge generation variables in the model.     

Attainment in Coeducational and Segregated Schools

Kyöstiö, O. K. (1970). Attainment in Coeducational and Segregated Schools. An inquiry into the prediction of secondary school final success. Scand. J. Educ. Res. 14,113‐170. The problems of this study concerned on one hand the scholastic results of mixed versus segregated education, and on the other the predictiveness of the selection system in Finnish secondary schools. The study was a follow‐up type. The age, social status, and ability of the students were held constant by matching the different groups. The results show that an assumed null‐hypothesis, which concerned the attainment of students in the examined subjects of the matriculation examination in different types of schools, could not be approved. Girls in segregated schools showed themselves to be significantly better than the other groups in total point value. They were also best in most subjects. Only boys from mixed schools were equal to them in mathematics and in general subjects. The correlation coefficient between the sum variable of the entrance selection and the total point value of the matriculation exam variable was significant, showing that the selection had positive predictive value, as was assumed. A regression analysis showed that only the total sum variable of the selection procedure had a significantly predictive value on all success variables, except mathematics. Another regression analysis without sum variables indicated the significant influence of the single determinants too, but in both analyses the variances they could explain were very small. The influence of the continuous and strong selection (high dropout rate) may weaken the generalization of the results.     

Pre-enrollment factors and academic performance of first-year science students at a Nigerian university: a multivariate analysis

Multi-group discriminant analysis is used to identify the pre-enrollment demographic and academic factors which best separate out the success classes in the first-year examinations of science students at a Nigerian university. Each science-based faculty is separately analysed to control for faculty differences in all the variables used. The pre-eminent predictor of success is performance in the specialist subjects of the universitys matriculation examination. Other variables selected for use in the discriminant functions depend on the faculty group. Misallocation rates are generally low and, exept for one faculty group, discrimination is uni-dimensional.     

Replication of a path analysis model of secondary physics enrollments: 20 years later

The percentage of enrollment in physics (PEP) at the secondary level in the United States has been approximately 20% for the past few decades. In an attempt to isolate variables related to physics enrollment. Bryant (1977) conducted a path analysis model of secondary physics enrollment in New York State. This present study is a replication and extension of the study conducted by Bryant. Current data were used to verify the Bryant model and construct models with data available since Bryant's work. Data gathered by the New York State Education Department for the 1990–1991 school year were used. The source of this data included surveys completed by teachers and administrators on student characteristics and school facilities. A data analysis similar to Bryant's was conducted to determine whether the relationships between a set of predictor variables and physics enrollment had changed in the past 20 years. The findings indicate that there has been no change in the set of variables related to physics enrollment. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cognitive and perceptual measures as predictors of fourth-grade achievement

This study used a multivariate approach and longitudinal design to examine the relationship of early perceptual and cognitive development to later school achievement. The extent to which a set of 4th-grade achievement measures could be predicted from a set of variables collected when the students were in first grade was determined through a series of canonical and multiple correlation analyses. These results were compared to results of an earlier phase of the study. Similarities between the two phases indicated that: (a) A measure of visual perception added significantly to the prediction of achievement afforded by consideration of sex and academic aptitude. (b) The variables used to predict achievement may differ somewhat between boys and girls. (c) The usefulness of sex as a predictor of school achievement depends upon the specific achievement area under consideration. Differences in the two phases involved the extent to which sex was a predictor of a specific achievement area.     

Transition from consideration of a college to the decision to apply

Other researchers have found that personal socioeconomic background, measures of the fit between characteristics of institutions and factors students want in colleges they attend, and measures of the quality and location of the high school attended influence aspiration for higher education and/or the matriculation decision. In this study I investigate the effects of similar variables on students' decisions to apply to a particular institution after asking the Educational Testing Service to send their SAT scores to it. The results indicate that the fit between a student's preferences and an institution's characteristics has the most substantial impact on the decision to apply. Within the set of variables measuring this fit, correspondence between location desired, if the location is close to the student's home, and a SAT score either at or above the average score of applicants to the institution stand out as primary predictors.     

Reading comprehension test item difficulty as a function of cognitive processing variables.

This study reports the results of a componential analysis of items comprising Sections A and C of Form Z of the reading comprehension portions of the California Achievement Tests (CAT) (Tiegs & Clark, 1963). A set of problem components or attributes characterizing the test items in terms of manifest content, psychologically salient features, and processing demands was developed, including methods for their quantification. The contributions of these components to task difficulty were then evaluated using linear regression methodology. Item difficulty indices were transformations of the familiar proportion-correct item score, obtained from data gathered during the spring of 1989 from 158 deaf examinees. Variation in the item difficulty values was substantially accounted for in terms of a small number of predictor variables (R2 greater than or equal to .90). Implications of the results for construct validity and interpretation of test scores are discussed.     

The Effects of Component Variables on Performance in Graph Comprehension Tests

Some cognitive characteristics of graph comprehension items were studied, and a model comprised of several variables was developed. 132 graph items of the Psychometric Entrance Test were included in the study. By analyzing the actual difficulty of the items, an evaluation of the impact of the cognitive variables on item difficulties could be made. Results indicate that successful prediction of item difficulty can be calculated on the basis of a wide range of item characteristics and task demands. This suggests that items can be screened for processing difficulty prior to being administered to examinees. However, the results also have implications for test validity in that the various processing variables identified involve distinct ability dimensions.     

高校录取中心信息安全策略

网上录取以公平、高效、省力的优势成为高校录取新生的主要方式．但由于计算机病毒的传播，操作系统、应用软件本身的漏洞以及网络攻击的横行等因素，网上录取的安全问题越来越受到关注．就高校录取中心的信息安全管理，从硬件配备、系统设置、病毒防护、数据管理等技术层面进行了了研究和论述．     

A meta-analysis of meausures of self-esteem for young children: a framework for future measures

The objective of this study was to synthesize information from literature on measures of the self in young children to create an empirical framework for developing future methods for measuring this construct. For this meta-analysis, all available preschool and early elementary school self-esteem studies were reviewed. Reliability was used as the criterion variable and the predictor variables represented different aspects of methodology that are used in testing an instrument: study characteristics, method characteristics, subject characteristics, measure characteristics, and measure design characteristics. Using information from two analyses, the results indicate that the reliability of self-esteem measures for young children can be predicted by the setting of the study, number of items in the scale, the age of the children being studied, the method of data collection (questionnaires or pictures), and the socioeconomic status of the children. Age and number of items were found to be critical features in the development of reliable measures for young children. Future studies need to focus on the issues of age and developmental limitations on the complicated problem of how young children actually think about the self and what methods and techniques can aid in gathering this information more accurately.     

Predicting science achievement: The role of developmental level,disembedding ability,mental capacity,prior knowledge,and beliefs

Controversy in the literature exists concerning the relative importance of cognitive characteristics such as general developmental level and specific prior knowledge for science achievement. Thus the relative ability of developmental level and prior knowledge to predict achievement of concepts of evolution and natural selection was assessed by means by three commonly used types of examination items: multiple choice items, a computational item, and an essay item. The effects of students' disembedding ability, mental capacity, and belief in evolution were also assessed. Disembedding ability, prior knowledge, and belief in evolution were found to be significantly related to overall achievement, while developmental level and mental capacity were not. However, developmental level was found to be the best predictor of performance on the computational item while belief in evolution and prior knowledge were found to be the best predictors of performance on the multiple-choice items. Mental capacity was found to be a predictor of performance on the essay item. It is argued that the cognitive variables influence different aspects of science achievement. Implications are discussed.     

Examination of Gender Bias in University Admissions

In this study we examined whether the measures used in the admission of students to universities in Israel are gender biased. The criterion used to measure bias was performance in the first year of university study; the predictors consisted of an admission score, a high school matriculation score, and a standardized test score as well as its component subtest scores. Statistically, bias was defined according to the boundary conditions given in Linn (1984). No gender bias was detected when using the admission score (which is used for selection) as a predictor of first-year performance in the university. Bias in favor of women was found predominantly using school grades as predictor whereas bias against women was found predominantly in using the standardized test scores. It was concluded that the admission score is a valid and unbiased predictor of first-year university performance for the two genders.     

Predicting Suicide Risks Among Outpatient Adolescents Using the Family Environment Scale: Implications for Practice and Research

This study was designed to identify characteristics of family functioning that relate to suicide potential in an outpatient adolescent population. Participants included 51 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 who were involved in outpatient counselling. The Family Environment Scale and the Suicide Probability Scale were used to assess adolescents’ perception of family social climate and degree of suicide risk respectively. Results revealed significant correlations between suicide risk and family systems characterized by heightened conflict and lower levels of cohesion, independence, and organization. A stepwise multiple regression analysis suggested that organization (related to clarity and structure in family activities and responsibilities) was the strongest predictor of suicide risk. Implications for research and practice are considered.     

THE SELECTION OF VARIABLES IN MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS

4 different procedures are commonly employed with sample data to reduce a set of predictor variables. In the present study these procedures were repeatedly applied to computer-simulated samples to provide comparative data pertaining to two questions: (a) Which procedure can be expected to produce an equation that yields the most accurate predictions for the population? (b) Which procedure is most likely to identify the optimal set of independent variables? The samples were drawn from 12, mathematically defined, multivariate normal populations. Each population consisted of 1 criterion and 10 predictor variables. Five or fewer independent variables constituted the optimal set in each case. With respect to both questions small differences among the procedures were observed. However, the forward selection and stepwise procedures consistently produced more favorable results than the 2 backward elimination procedures. The question of the number of sampling units to use is discussed.     

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AS AN AID IN DESIGNING AN INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM

The usefulness of a structural analysis of pretest items in designing an instructional system is illustrated by the application of this technique to 100 addition computation problems. 10 structural characteristics of the problems were derived from the more general objectives of the instructional system (micro-objectives) and used as predictors of problem (mini-objectives) difficulty level in a stepwise regression analysis, in a manner similar to that of traditional studies of readability. The authors point out that regression equations derived in this way can be used to plan lessons in which all problems would be of approximately equal difficulty, and thus could have maximally reliable entrance or pretests, and might also be concerned with only one factor or topic. Lessons could be arranged from easiest to most difficult by using the regression equation to predict lesson difficulty. It is thought that the size of the multiple correlation between difficulty level and the structural variables may be an indication of how well the micro- and mini-objectives of the instructional system have been formulated.     

A profile of applicants to a leading engineering school

This study, the third in a series centred on engineering and science students in Israel, deals with applicants to the Technion engineering school. In an attempt to discover the differences between those admitted and rejected, the matriculation and entrance examination grades of over 3,500 students were analysed together with biographical and socio-economic data collected by means of questionnaires and verified by chi-square analysis. Selected results are presented and discussed in terms of overall differences, subject differences and academic variables (place of birth, ethnic profile, socio-economic profile, educational background and the time when the decision to study at the Technion was first made). Three tables are given.     

Analysis of the Effects of School Variables Using Multilevel Models

Multilevel models allow data to be analysed which are hierarchical in nature; in particular, data which have been collected on pupils grouped into schools. Some of the associated variables may be measured at the pupil level, and others at the school level. The use of multilevel models produces estimates of variances between schools and pupils, as well as the effects of background variables in reducing or explaining these variances. One data set which has been analysed relates to the national surveys of mathematics carried out in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In this case the basic unit of analysis was a pupil's performance in a group of items within one of 12 sub‐categories of maths. Each pupil tackled two such item groups (or sub‐tests) and thus a three‐level model was required, with the levels representing sub‐tests, pupils and schools. A number of background variables at both pupil and school levels were also measured, and interesting results were obtained when a multilevel model was fitted. The program used was a version of one developed by Professor H. Goldstein. A quite different data set related to pupils’ responses to a questionnaire survey about their reactions to their current course of study. The dependent variable was a measure of pupils’ satisfaction with the course derived from their responses, and other pupil level variables were also derived, relating to their school experiences and personal attributes. School level variables such as size and type of school were obtained from a schools data base. The program Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) was used to model these data, using only two levels. The two multilevel program used have different strengths and capabilities, but are related in terms of the kinds of models that can be fitted. Such models can lead to greater insights into the relationships between school and pupil level variables, and their influence on pupil results or attitudes.     

Family Dynamics, Preschoolers' Family Representations, and Preschool Peer Relationships

Most prior studies of family-peer linkages during the preschool years have asked how mothers' or fathers' parenting practices contribute to early social competence. However, recent evidence from studies of family group-level processes raise the possibility that coparenting and family group process may also influence early social competence. This study traces pathways between family group-level dynamics, preschoolers' family imagery, and peer behavior at nursery school, testing the hypothesis that children's perceptions of family anger and aggression provide a link (through mediation and other indirect connections) between family process and early peer behavior. 43 four-year-olds used a set of doll family figures to tell stories about happy, sad, mad and worried families, and participated in a puppet interview in which they answered questions about family activities and family anger. Children's projection of aggression into the doll family task and discomfort during the puppet interview were each related to both parent-child and family-level dynamics. Family-level variables were also associated with observed social behavior at preschool, with effects strongest for boys. Pathways linking low levels of support and mutuality in the coparenting relationship to problematic peer relationships were indirect and mediated rather than direct, with children's family representations playing an intermediary role. By contrast, there was a direct pathway linking the family's affective climate to positive peer behavior; children from families showing warm, positive relations among all family members displayed more positive and prosocial peer behavior at school. We propose that studies of early peer competence could benefit from a broadened definition of family process and from the inclusion of information about how preschoolers conceive of relationship dynamics within the family.     

Hispanic Student Success: Factors Influencing the Persistence and Transfer Decisions of Latino Community College Students Enrolled in Developmental Education

This study examined the impact of a set of theoretically-derived predictor variables on the persistence and transfer of Hispanic community college students. Early models of student persistence have been validated primarily among 4-year college students. While the constructs have been well-established, the relationships of those relevant factors remain unexamined among community college transfer students, and specifically, among Hispanic students enrolled in developmental coursework and planning to transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized conceptual framework on an existing set of quantitative persistence data drawn from a national sample of Hispanic students.