Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 21, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 314-334).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1996. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 18, 2006. Dissertation Committee: John McCarthy (chair), James Palmer, Marcia Escott, Lemuel Watson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-99) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-132). Also available on the Internet.

M.Ed. (Tertiary and Adult Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is the identification of selected factors that are closely associated with academic performance. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of academic performance to age, gender, reading score, credit hours attempted, and self-assessed personal life skills (self-esteem, growth motivation, change orientation, interpersonal assertation, interpersonal aggression, interpersonal deference, interpersonal awareness, empathy, drive strength, decision making, time management, sales orientation, commitment ethic and stress management).

D.Ed. / Societal structures are undergoing drastic changes at present. In the modern technological community, increasing pressure is placed on the child to achieve, particularly in the scholastic field. The urgent need for higher scholastic achievement makes greater demands on both the educator (parent and teacher) and the child. A positive self-concept can provide the motivation which could lead to higher scholastic achievement, but the way in which the child plans and uses his time, and works towards future success, may be of the utmost importance for high average scholastic achievement. Against this background, the aim of this research was to investigate selfconcept and time-concept within an educational context. The study probed the issue of whether there is a difference between the self -concept and time-concept of pupils with a high average scholastic achievement and those of pupils with a low average. Further, the possible relationship between the self-concept and the time-concept of these pupils was investigated. To achieve this goal, the research was based on seven sub-goals. The first three of these goals were realised by investigating a theoretical framework regarding the self-concept and time-concept of pupils within an educational context, and also by educationally founding self-concept, time-concept and scholastic achievement. An empirical investigation was undertaken on the basis of the theoretical framework mentioned. Standard six, eight and ten pupils who were enrolled at an Afrikaans-medium and an English-medium high school in the Roodepoort area falling under the ex-Transvaal Education Department, as well as such pupils at an English-medium high school in the Johannesburg area, falling under the ex-Department of Education and Training, were involved in the investigation. A structured questionnaire in Afrikaans and English was developed on the basis of the above-mentioned self-concept and time-concept by adapting and refining already existing instruments. In accordance with the fourth sub-goal, this questionnaire, consisting of two instruments, was used to investigate the pupils' self-concept (instrument one) and timeconcept (instrument two). The approach followed for analysing and interpreting the data entails six steps. The data on self-concept and time-concept were analysed separately in steps 1, 4 and 5. In step 1 the validity and reliability of the measuring instruments were investigated. First order factor analytical procedures and item analyses were applied respectively in this regard. In each case only one variable (scale), namely self-concept and time-concept, was identified in this way. In step 2 the calculation of the correlation between the average percentage of the previous examination (biographical information) and the calculated average percentage (from information in Annexure C) was done on the basis of the data obtained from the Afrikaans-medium high school. This calculation was aimed at using the data from the questionnaire (obtained from the one English-medium high school that failed to provide the information required in Annexure C) for further statistical analyses. Step 3 entailed the determination of the cut-off points for pupils with a high average and those with a low average in scholastic achievement. Two groups of pupils were thus identified, namely the group of pupils with a high average scholastic achievement and the groups of pupils with a low average. The variables (number of factors) of self-concept and time-concept that could be used in the further analyses of the data, were identified by means of a prime factor analysis (PFA1), together with a Doblimin rotation method identified in step 4. The variables of self-concept and time-concept were subsequently used to conduct multi-variable and single variable analyses according to step 5 on the data of the pupils. These analyses were aimed at establishing whether there was a difference between the self-concept and the time-concept of the pupils with a high average and those of the pupils with a low average in scholastic achievement. The Hotelling T 2 test and MANOVA were used to test multi-variable hypotheses. The Student's t-test, ANOVA and the Scheffe test were used to test the single variable hypotheses. In step 6 of the analyses a canonical correlation analysis was performed on the data to establish whether there were statistically significant relationships between the self-concept and the time-concept of the pupils with a high average scholastic achievement. The same procedure was followed to determine whether there were statistically significant relationships between the self-concept and the time-concept of the pupils with a low average scholastic achievement. The findings obtained from all these analyses are stated briefly: There is, in fact, a difference between the self-concept and time-concept of pupils with a high average scholastic achievement and those with a low average. With regard to self-concept, the pupils with a high average have a more positive academic self, a better relationship with family and relatives, a more supportive religious orientation and a better attitude towards values than the pupils with a low average in scholastic achievement. With regard to time-concept, the pupils with a high average are more future-oriented, more conscientious in their time management, experience less anxiety about the future and are less focused on the present than the pupils with a low average in scholastic achievement. With regard to the relationships between the self-concept and the timeconcept of the pupils, the findings include the following: * Pupils with a high average scholastic achievement - there is a relationship between academic self, relationship with family and - relatives, social relations, religious orientation, physical self, negative experience of frustration, attitude towards values and future orientation, conscientious time management, negative in anxiety about the future, independent utilisation of time and contentment with the present and the past. Pupils with a low average scholastic achievement - there is a relationship between academic self, relationship with family and relatives, social relations, religious orientation, physical self, attitude towards values and future orientation, conscientious time management, time-consciousness, focus on the present, independent utilisation of time and contentment with the present and the past. On the whole, it would therefore appear that two variables of the timeconcept, namely anxiety about the future and focus on the present, can give rise to an inability to achieve a high scholastic average. It could therefore be in the interest of the child that the educators (parents and teachers) should make every effort to foster a positive selfconcept and a future-oriented time-concept in the child. The emphasis should be placed on planning and working towards a future goal. In addition, it should also be stressed that the enjoyment of the moment should be exchanged for future success.

M.Ed. (Tertiary and Adult Education) / The purpose of this empirical study which forms part of a team research project, was to identify personality variables which may influence the academic achievement of first-year engineering-students. It was undertaken in the light of the relatively high failure rate of first-year students and the negative implications this has for an institute of higher learning and the students. The Bureau for University Education aims to establish a better student selection mechanism. The test group consisted of first-year engineering-students who registered at the Rand Afrikaans University during 1989, 1990 and 1991. This study focused on a single non-cognitive factor, namely personality, and its influence on academic achievement. The 16-PF-Questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument. student's t-test was utilized to establish significant differences between the two identified groups. The available data was processed by means of the BMDP-3S computer programme. The findings of this empirical study indicate that personality cannot be utilised in the prediction of academic achievement as a single factor, but in combination bined with other factors it forms an integral part of the selection mechanism. The successful engineering-students differed significantly from the less successful enigeering-students with regard to the following factors of the 16-PF-Questionnaire: * Factor G (dutyfullness) * Factor N (shrewdness)

Research has indicated that there are many factors affecting academic performance of high school students, which in turn can have a significant effect on their future educational and occupational opportunities. While much international research has been done on cognitive and non-cognitive factors affecting academic performance, there seems to be a lack of empirical studies within the South African context, especially with regard to the effect of vocational interests, academic attitudes and study behaviours. The study investigated three hypotheses. Firstly, academic ability has a significant influence on school students’ academic performance; secondly, school students who show vocational interest patterns that correspond with specific subject content, perform academically better than school students who do not have interests that are in line with the subject content; and thirdly, school students with positive academic attitudes and study behaviours perform academically better than students with negative academic attitudes and study behaviours. The study included 285 Grade 10 students who completed the General Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Self-Directed Search and the Academic Behaviours and Attitudes Questionnaire. The results of multiple regression analyses revealed that academic ability, vocational interests, self-efficacy, achievement motivation, self-directedness in learning and avoidance of procrastination all contributed toward predicting academic performance. With regard to the role of vocational interests, the results also revealed that Investigative and Realistic interests had a significant effect on academic performance even when subject content did not match vocational interest patterns. An adjusted model, based on Social Cognitive Career Theory was formulated in order to conceptualise the study. / Dr. K. de Bruin

In order to continue their contribution to the profession of psychology in South Africa the selection committees of psychology departments of higher education institutions are faced with the difficult task of selecting the most suitable candidates to fill their Clinical, Counselling, Educational and Industrial Psychology masters coursework programmes. Selection committees have traditionally made use of several admission criteria and procedures ranging from academic performance to personality assessment to a combination of methods. Admission criteria vary greatly across Higher Education Institutions. The selection committee at the selected participating institution of higher education takes into account the prospective students' academic performance, relevant work or practical experience, research experience, active participation in the classroom, active involvement outside of the classroom (participation in and engagement with community activities), and personality. Currently the institution of higher education that provided the sample for the current study employs the NEO PI-R as well as the MMPI-2 to assess masters applicants’ personality traits. A study by Britz (1994) recommended that the MBTI® be included in the assessment battery for psychology masters students. The primary aim of the proposed study is to identify, explore and describe the personality preferences of a group of prospective psychology masters applicants and a group of successfully selected psychology masters students at a South African Higher Education Institution utilising the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®). The study was exploratory descriptive in nature and was based on the quantitative research approach. Non-probability convenience sampling and the survey method was utilised to identify and approach prospective participants. Participants were requested to complete the MBTI® questionnaire. The MBTI® protocols were hand-scored and the findings analysed utilising frequency distributions and inferential statistics, that is, means and standard deviations. The MBTI® was found to be valid and reliable in a variety of populations and contexts. xi Results indicated that the ISTJ (15 percent), INTP (15 percent) and ESFJ (15 percent) personality types were the three most common personality types amongst participants from the group of prospective psychology masters applicants. The ENFP (13 percent), INTP (13 percent) and ISFJ (13 percent) personality types were the three most common personality types amongst participants from the group of successfully selected masters students. The majority (14 percent) of participants from the total sample displayed a preference for the INTP personality type. An examination of the dichotomous personality types of the participants revealed that the majority of participants preferred the Extraversion attitude, Sensing and Thinking functions, and Judgement attitude.

This study assessed the personal, career and learning skills needs of 196 psychology students (M= 56, F= 103). The preferred means of counselling assistance, preferred experience of counselling and preferred counselling provider were also assessed. The most highly endorsed needs were time management skills (83.5 percent, n=162), learning test-taking strategies (82 percent, n=159), job search strategies (73.6 percent, n=142), increasing self-confidence (70.3 percent, n=135), increasing motivation (72.4 percent, n=134), controlling anxiety and nervousness (68.7 percent, n=134), public speaking anxiety (68.4percent, n=134), understanding career interests and abilities (67.5 percent, n=131), fear of failure (68.1 percent, n=130), and improving study skills (66.5 percent, n=129). Significant sex differences were found for the following, finding a greater purpose in life, controlling weight, job search strategies, concerns about career choice, understanding career interests and abilities in the selection of major subjects and improving study skills. Males highly endorsed the need for finding a greater purpose in life, job search strategies, and concern about career choice, understanding career interest and abilities, selection of major subjects and to improve study skills, whereas females endorsed the need for controlling weight. Respondents indicated individual counselling as being their preferred means of counselling assistance, but lectures were the most prevalent means of assistance previously received by respondents. Most respondents (78.1 percent) found the assistance they had received to be helpful.