scholarly journals Mismatch between student and university expectations of academic achievement

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-106
Author(s):  
Warren Lake ◽  
Hanabeth Luke ◽  
Bill Boyd
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Analytical Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Student perceptions of their studies and learning are important influencers of academic performance and outcome. Here we find that the grades students anticipate obtaining may differ significantly from grades awarded: students’ perceptions of their studies appear to be at odds with the university’s assessment of their academic worth. A previous study introduced students to the concept of self-efficacy and its effects on academic performance and outcome; we demonstrate that students’ self-efficacy can be raised. Importantly, the focus is not on the validity of the concept of self-efficacy as the guiding or defining principle in this research, but rather a means to potentially identify important student perceptions that may influence academic performance. Moreover, the effect, emphasises a mismatch between student and university expectations of the measure of achievement: students overestimate their anticipated grades against grades awarded. By encouraging improved self-efficacy are we emphasising differences between anticipated and awarded grades? Are we diminishing the student’s sense of achievement and therefore negatively impacting on student performance? To resolve this, in this study we shift the focus from the purely analytical analysis of the impact of self-efficacy and highlight assumptions of the primacy of grades as signifier of academic success. Academic success is motivated by a desire for learning as much as for good grades. Furthermore, a student’s academic success reflects a complex of socio-personal influences. These perspectives allow the effects of improved self-efficacy to be formative in the student’s maturing sense of belonging within education. The survey and concept of self-efficacy is now better understood as the vehicle for improved experiences of learning, becoming potent drivers of student success.

scholarly journals Examining Students’ Online Course Perceptions and Comparing Student Performance Outcomes in Online and Face-to-Face Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Spencer ◽  
Traci Temple
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
General Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Instructional Format ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Through the use of existing grade and student survey data, this study investigated online courses offered at a public four-year university. Specifically, the study explored differences in student success rates between online and face-to-face courses for traditional undergraduate students as well as the climate of student perceptions towards online courses. Our general results suggest that students performed better in, and had higher levels of preference toward, traditional face-to-face formats. However, overall perceptions of online courses were positive, with students viewing instructional technologies as reliable and easy to use, as well as reporting that online technologies facilitated prompt feedback, enhanced their problem-solving skills, and met their learning needs. Alongside this, students exhibited positive views towards their instructors’ skill level and use of technology to support academic success. Logistic regression analyses of differences in student success across instructional formats revealed interaction effects with variables of age (nontraditional/traditional), aid status and whether or not courses were taken to fulfill general education or major requirements, suggesting a more complex effect of instructional format across student subpopulations. The variability in the results observed in the current study warrant further exploration before definitive conclusions on the impact of instructional format on student outcomes and perceptions can be made.

scholarly journals Academic success is about self-efficacy rather than frequency of use of the learning management system

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Broadbent
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Management System ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Activity ◽  
Learning Management

<p>Previous studies have investigated the association between the frequency of student learning management system (LMS) use (logins, discussion board use, resources used, etc.) and academic achievement. These studies indicate that low LMS use by students is likely to result in less academic success. However, these models fail to take into account self-beliefs that may also increase the explanatory value of learning analytics from the LMS. This study surveyed 310 students (<em>M </em>= 22.10 years, <em>SD </em>= 6.30 years) undertaking a first year health psychology subject. Results show the central role of self-efficacy in predicting student performance. Online activity was not predictive of performance, suggesting the primacy of psychological factors more so than online engagement in determining outcome. Of the motivational factors, <em>amotivation</em> was the single significant predictor of academic achievement. Proposed future research directions include the need to evaluate whether these results are sustained over time.</p>

scholarly journals Academic success online: The mediating role of self-efficacy on personality and academic performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillianne Code ◽  
Nick Zap ◽  
Rachel Ralph
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Learning Options

Abstract Academic success in any context is dependent upon a student's belief in their ability to succeed. While learning online, a students’ self-efficacy is affected by their confidence in their ability to interact within the online environment. With the proliferation of personalized learning and the growth of Massive Open Online Courses, this growing trend is a shift in focus from the centralized brick-and-mortar locus of control, to one of enabling student choice and agency for how, when, and where they learn. In the pre-pandemic setting, this research study examined the personality types of students enrolled in eight sections of four online courses in educational technology, and the role self-efficacy for learning online played in their academic performance. Key findings reveal that personality affects learners’ academic achievement is moderately significant, self-efficacy for online learning affects learners’ academic achievement in a small but significant way, and student conscientiousness and academic performance were significantly and fully mediated by self-efficacy for learning online while controlling for gender and English language proficiency. There were no mediation effects with the other personality traits. A discussion around learning design strategies is provided. The authors recommend that institutions adopt more flexible learning options for teaching and learning that include both online and blended learning options that provide student’s choice and agency over the learning experience but also enable the institution to be better equipped for what the uncertain future of education holds.

scholarly journals Psychological Strengths Contributing to Rural Student’s Academic Performance in Kadazandusun

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Getrude C. Ah Gang Grace
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy ◽  
Psychological Strengths

Achieving academic success is a shared dream among students. To achieve academic success, psychological strengths, such as psychological well-being, academic self-efficacy, and motivation, are predictors of students’ academic achievement. To examine these factors, a study was conducted on rural students from the Kadazandusun community residing in the interior Sabah division. It is predicted that each of these psychological factors may contribute to the academic achievement of these rural students. There were 668 Kadazandusun rural students from 17 rural schools in Sabah who participated in this study. A set of questionnaires comprising four parts was used to measure all the variables based on the following sequence: Section A measured demographic variables, Section B measured psychological well-being, Section C measured achievement motivation, and Section D measured academic self-efficacy. The simple regression analysis showed that each psychological factor moderately affected academic achievement. Psychological well-being, achievement motivation, and academic self-efficacy contributed 4.4%, 2.2%, and 5.1% of the variance in students’ academic achievement, respectively. This study’s results may give the Ministry of Education, schools, and parents a glimpse of hope that despite educational limitations, such as lack of infrastructure and geographical location, students’ psychological strengths can enhance rural students’ academic performance. Therefore, the educational authorities can provide more programmes regarding works that increase psychological well-being, motivation, and academic efficacy, which may contribute to the academic success of rural students.

scholarly journals Academic Achievement and Failure in University Studies: Motivational and Emotional Factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9798
Author(s):  
Raquel Gilar-Corbi ◽  
Teresa Pozo-Rico ◽  
Juan-Luis Castejón ◽  
Tarquino Sánchez ◽  
Ivan Sandoval-Palis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Knowledge Test ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Universities are committed to offering quality education; however, a high rate of academic failure is often observed in the first year of studies. Considering the impact that motivation and emotional aspects can have on students’ commitment to study and therefore on their academic performance, achievement, and well-being, this study aims to identify the factors associated with academic success or failure in 1071 students entering the National Polytechnic School (Quito, Ecuador). The data were compiled from the existing computer records of the university with the permission of the responsible administrative staff. A predictive model has been used and a binary logistic regression analysis was carried out through the step-forward regression procedure based on the Wald statistic to analyze the predictive capacity of the variables related to emotional intelligence, motivational and self- regulated socio-cognitive skills, goal orientation, and prior academic achievement (measured by university entrance marks and through a knowledge test carried out at the beginning of the university academic year). To determine the cut-off point for the best discriminatory power of each of the variables, a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis has been used. The results indicate that the variables that are significant in the prediction of academic success or failure are the two academic performance measures: the emotional attention variable, and the performance-approach goals and the motivational self-efficacy variable. Additionally, the highest predictive power is displayed by the prior academic performance measure obtained through the knowledge test conducted at the beginning of the university course.

scholarly journals The impact of attitudes beliefs and cognitive reflection on the development of critical thinking skills in online students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boban Simonovic ◽  
Katia Vione ◽  
Dean Fido ◽  
Edward Stupple ◽  
James Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Grade Point Average ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Cognitive Reflection ◽  
The Impact

Learning and development of critical thinking skills in higher education is essential for academic achievement. The following experiment is first to examine the effect of online student perceptions and attitudes towards critical thinking across dimensions of confidence, valuing, misconceptions cognitive reflection and authors writing. Furthermore, we developed and examined the effect of four critical thinking workshops with an aim to help students improve their grade point average. Our analyses demonstrated that student’s confidence and cognitive reflection predict academic achievement. Moreover, the online CT intervention improved students’ CT attitudes, skills, and academic performance. Significant interactions were observed between time (pre and post-intervention) and intervention in cognitive reflection (as measured by the extend version of the cognitive reflection test; CRT) confidence beliefs and attitudes related to critical thinking (as measured by the critical thinking toolkit CriTT), and student grade point average (GPA; as measured by students performance on online modules). It was concluded that the critical thinking can be thought and that an intervention based ‘how to think’ rather than ‘what to think’ mixed approach can help students develop critical thinking, strengthen their confidence in critical thinking and help students improve their academic performance in an online setting.

scholarly journals Questionnaire-Derived Sleep Habits and Academic Achievement in First Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Matthew Driller ◽  
Haresh Suppiah ◽  
Paul B. Gastin ◽  
Christopher M. Beaven
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
First Year ◽  
Sleep Habits ◽  
Study Results ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to determine the effect of sleep quantity and quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on students’ academic achievement in their first year of university study. In this cross-sectional study, 193 students (102 female, 91 male, mean ± SD; age = 19.3 ± 2.9 y) from an undergraduate Health degree in New Zealand completed the PSQI four weeks prior to the end of the semester in their first year of university study. Results from three core subjects in the first semester were averaged and correlations between the PSQI and academic success were evaluated using Spearman’s rho (ρ). The group were also trichotomized using a PSQI global score of ≤5 as the threshold for “good” sleepers (n = 62, 32%), a score of 5–8 for “moderate” sleepers (n = 63, 33%) and a score ≥8 to characterize “poor” sleepers (n = 68, 35%). Overall, students averaged 7 h 37 min of self-reported sleep duration with an average bedtime of 22:55 p.m. and wake time of 8:01 a.m. There was a significant, small inverse relationship between academic performance and bedtime (p = 0.03, ρ = −0.14), with those going to bed earlier having superior academic success. The trichotomized data demonstrated no significant differences in academic performance between students with poor, moderate and good sleep quality (p = 0.92). Later bedtimes were associated with lower academic performance in a group of first year university students. However, there were no other relationships observed between academic success and self-reported sleep quality or quantity as determined by the PSQI. Enhancing awareness of the impact of sleep timing on academic success should be prioritized and strategies to improve sleep hygiene should be promoted to university students.

Beyond ACT & GPA: self-efficacy as a non-cognitive predictor of academic success

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-186
Author(s):  
Robert J. Tepper ◽  
Steven A. Yourstone
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cognitive Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Introductory Accounting

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify significant non-cognitive variables as predictors of student success in an introductory accounting class. Design/methodology/approach Non-cognitive characteristics of the students were obtained by surveying two sections of an introductory accounting class. Survey results were combined with student performance in the class. Regression analysis was applied to determine the significant predictors of academic success. Findings Findings show that students with similar ACT scores and GPA may outperform others owing to the effect of certain non-cognitive variables pertaining to self-efficacy. These included the individual’s perceived skill level, tendency to become discouraged and expected performance relative to others. Research limitations/implications One research limitation is the lack of a pre- and post-test to measure any interventions. No interventions are part of this research study, but this limitation provides a strong suggestion for future research. Also, larger sample sizes might lead to different results. Practical implications Cognitive ability is the intellectual capability that enables one to acquire, memorize, recall, combine, compare and use information and conceptual skills in new frameworks (Cronbach, 1984; Jensen, 1998). Standardized tests measure cognitive variables (Sedlacek, 2011). Research demonstrates that cognitive ability alone will not provide the best predictive model of performance (Hall et al., 2006). This study of certain non-cognitive variables improves instructor understanding of student success, increases predictive ability and informs teaching methods and interventions. Originality/value This study differs from previous research by adding to and enhancing the currently small and limited body of literature. While other studies have identified largely cognitive factors that relate to success in the introductory accounting course (Phillips, 2015), this study identifies significant non-cognitive variables relating to self-efficacy that can help accounting educators better understand student performance in introductory undergraduate financial accounting courses.

scholarly journals Enhanced student perceptions of learning and performance using concept-point-recovery teaching sessions: a mixed-method approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun Jin Cho ◽  
Michael R. Melloch ◽  
Chantal Levesque-Bristol
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Active learning pedagogy has recently received a great deal of attention, and many universities have attempted to create student-centered learning environments to improve students’ academic success. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of concept-point-recovery (CPR) teaching sessions as an active learning strategy on students’ perceptions of the learning environment, motivation, and academic learning outcomes in an electrical engineering course. To investigate the effectiveness of CPR sessions, students’ perceptions of learning and their performance were compared to those of students in a control classroom. Finally, students’ written comments on the course and instructor were explored in further analysis. Results The quantitative findings revealed that there was a significant change in students’ perceptions of learning after the CPR teaching sessions, and there was an increase in students’ perceptions and learning outcomes compared with those of the control group. In addition, the qualitative findings from students’ written feedback demonstrated that students felt that the instructor cared about students’ learning and success and that they had a positive learning environment. Conclusions CPR teaching sessions can be an alternative model for instructors to connect with students and create supportive environments to help students achieve academic success, which in turn promotes the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs and self-determined motivation. Therefore, increasing students’ engagement in their learning processes and making connections with students through CPR teaching sessions can facilitate improvements in students’ motivation and academic success. How this new active learning technique can be applied to higher education is discussed.

scholarly journals Measuring the contribution of specialist vocabulary knowledge to academic achievement: disentangling effects of multiple types of word knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Masrai ◽  
James Milton ◽  
Dina Abdel Salam El-Dakhs ◽  
Heba Elmenshawy
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
The Other ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Academic Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study investigates the idea that knowledge of specialist subject vocabulary can make a significant and measurable impact on academic performance, separate from and additional to the impact of general and academic vocabulary knowledge. It tests the suggestion of Hyland and Tse (TESOL Quarterly, 41:235–253, 2007) that specialist vocabulary should be given more attention in teaching. Three types of vocabulary knowledge, general, academic and a specialist business vocabulary factors, are tested against GPA and a business module scores among students of business at a college in Egypt. The results show that while general vocabulary size has the greatest explanation of variance in the academic success factors, the other two factors - academic and a specialist business vocabulary - make separate and additional further contributions. The contribution to the explanation of variance made by specialist vocabulary knowledge is double that of academic vocabulary knowledge.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document