University Dropout

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel C. Voelkle ◽  
Nicolas Sander

University dropout is a politically and economically important factor. While a number of studies address this issue cross-sectionally by analyzing different cohorts, or retrospectively via questionnaires, few of them are truly longitudinal and focus on the individual as the unit of interest. In contrast to these studies, an individual differences perspective is adopted in the present paper. For this purpose, a hands-on introduction to a recently proposed structural equation (SEM) approach to discrete-time survival analysis is provided ( Muthén & Masyn, 2005 ). In a next step, a prospective study with N = 1096 students, observed across four semesters, is introduced. As expected, average university grade proved to be an important predictor of future dropout, while high-school grade-point average (GPA) yielded no incremental predictive validity but was completely mediated by university grade. Accounting for unobserved heterogeneity, three latent classes could be identified with differential predictor-criterion relations, suggesting the need to pay closer attention to the composition of the student population.

1976 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 711-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara H. Dinius ◽  
Sherwood C. McIntyre

250 university students were administered the “Einstellung” Water Jug Test. College grade point average, high school grade point average and American College Testing Program scores were collected for 184 of the subjects. Six measurements from the Einstellung test were analyzed to determine their power to (1) discriminate accounting majors from non-accounting majors (majors) and (2) discriminate students who were successful in accounting from those who were not (success). Two measurements significantly discriminated subjects by major and four measurements discriminated subjects by success. Three measurements from the Einstellung test were intercorrelated with the demographic data; nine of the correlations showed statistical significance. A multiple correlation, in which success was the criterion and the eight measures the predictors, showed a multiple R = .640. It was concluded that the addition of the Einstellung test to a traditional testing battery will raise the level of the “predictive plateau.”


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN D. SMITH ◽  
MICHAEL N. SUGARMAN

A study was conducted with Community and Technical College students enrolled at the University of Akron, a major urban university, during the 1978–1979 academic year. Students were divided into traditional and nontraditional persisters and nonpersisters, and if they were placed on academic probation, they were removed from the study. These students were given modified National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) questionnaires for program completers and noncompleters. The questions tested for varying degrees of satisfaction with the University and reasons for withdrawal concerning various academic, socioeconomic, and environmental press variables. In addition, selected demographic variables from the student masterfile were tested, along with the questionnaire responses in 99 research hypotheses using multiple linear regression and corrected for multiple comparisons. Results indicate that 13 hypotheses were found to significantly discriminate between traditional and nontraditional community college students. The persisting nontraditional students appeared to be more satisfied with the University concerning a few variables, greater proportion attended part-time, during the day, enrolled for less hours, and had a greater high school grade point average than their traditional counterparts. The nonpersisting, nontraditional students were similar to their persisting counterparts, except that traditional nonpersisting students had a higher high school grade point average, lived at greater distances from the school, and attended day time classes as compared to nontraditional students.


2001 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiki V. Roe

This study explored whether 3-mo.-old male infants' differential vocal response to mother vs a female stranger, which has been related to cognitive and academic functioning up to 12 years of age, is also related to adult development. Of the 12 subjects who had been seen from infancy through 12 years, 10 were located at Ages 21 and 28 years and were asked about their high school grade point average, scores on the SAT, years of schooling, emotional adjustment, substance abuse, and if they were in a stable relationship by the age 28. Responses showed 3-mo.-olds' differential vocal response was related positively to high school grade point average, scores on the SAT, years of completed education by age 28, and stability of relationship by age 28, and negatively related to substance abuse. No relationship was found between differential vocal response and reported emotional problems. Results suggest that early infant social interactions may be linked to adult development or adjustment.


1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyle F. Schoenfeldt ◽  
Donald H Brush

Transcript records of over 1,900 college students were transformed into a profile of grades across 12 curricular areas. The record for each subject also included high school grade point average (GPA) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. Intercorrelations among the 12 college GPA variables were comparable to previous research which analyzed GPA over successive semesters. Factor analysis resulted in two GPA factors, General Academic Achievement and Grades Independent of Achievement/Aptitude, indicating that GPA is not unitary, but is also not a multifaceted composite. It was concluded that the system of grades could be considered singular for most predictive purposes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Said A. Alghenaimi ◽  
Maiyasa G. Al-Saadi ◽  
Hamed K. Al Reesi

Background and objective: Higher education has witnessed significant changes in order to provide quality education that meets the needs of the 21st century. To be in par with international best practices, the foundation program was established to prepare the high school leavers for higher education in Oman, a middle-eastern country. The aims of this study were to (1) assess the relationship between students’ high school scores and their cumulative grade point average (CGPA) among the graduates of the nursing program in Oman, and (2) compare the CGPA of the student who attended the general foundation program (GFP) compared to the ones who did not attend the GFP. Methods: Secondary data analysis approach was used to access the alumni files one year before and one year after the implementation of the GFP. A retrospective approach was used to gather data from the alumni files, which included high school grade, whether the graduates have attended the foundation program or not, their first year Grade point average (GPA), and their CGPA.Results: Six hundred twenty-seven (n = 627) graduates were recruited from two cohorts, one attended the GFP (n = 287; 45.8%) and the others did not attend the GFP (n = 340; 54.2%). Majority of the participants who were included in this study were female graduate (n = 535; 85.3%). The students who attended the GFP were found to have higher first year GPA and higher CGPA compared to those who did not attend the GFP. High Diploma Scores and First Year GPA were significant predictors of the graduation CGPA of the graduates who did not enroll in the GFP whereas First Year GPA was the main predictors of the CGPA of the graduates who attended the GFP. It was also obvious that the first year GPA showed a higher significant correlation with CGPA among GFP attenders (r = 0.912, p < .01) in comparison to non GFP attenders (r = 0.775, p < .01).Conclusions: This study sheds light into the impact of foundation program on the overall students’ performance in the nursing program. It significantly reveals that GFP, has a positive impact on the overall CGPA, as it equipped the students with the necessary study skills and increased their English proficiency levels.


1984 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leroy Ervin ◽  
Mark C. Hogrebe ◽  
Patricia L. Dwinell ◽  
Isadore Newman

The task of selecting students who are most likely to succeed in a college Developmental Studies program results in important consequences for individuals and institutions. The present study compared the accuracy of high school grade point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in predicting freshman grade point average (freshman GPA) for two groups of students, Developmental Studies freshmen and regularly admitted freshmen. Analysis indicated the differences in slopes of the regression equations accounted for a small amount of criterion variance, but there was substantially greater error variance in the predictor-criterion relationship for developmental students. The predictor variables for regular students accounted for 34% of the variance in freshman GPA which was about two-and-a-half times more variance than was accounted for by the predictors for developmental students.


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