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In view of the National Plan for Higher Education (Department of Education, 2001) that calls for an increased throughput of students at higher education institutions within South Africa, a quantitative study was undertaken at a particular higher education institution during 2005 to identify factors associated with achievement in mathematics at entry level to tertiary studies. Factors considered in this study pertained specifically to those that may facilitate the introduction of intervention aimed at assisting students enrolled for mathematics at tertiary level and who are at risk of failing. Students admitted to either a degree or extended degree programme in science, engineering and technology (SET) in 2005 at the higher education institution constituted the target population. A survey was conducted at the onset of the academic year among students in the target population providing written consent to participate in the study. Three pen-and-paper questionnaires were administered, i.e. a background questionnaire, a newly developed cognitive instrument for the measurement of basic mathematical skills, including mathematics language proficiency, and an adapted instrument, based on an existing standardised instrument, the Study Orientation in Mathematics (SOM) instrument (Maree, Prinsloo & Claassen, 1997), for the measurement of the affective and behavioural domains related to the studying of mathematics. Information regarding student achievement at the end of their first semester of study was obtained from student academic records. Background variables, in particular being an English second language (ESL) student and having received home language tuition at school were shown to be associated with the initial preparedness of students, i.e. their Grade 12 achievement. These variables did not, however, directly contribute towards the prediction of achievement at entry level to the institution. The extent to which students have acquired basic mathematical skills, particularly mathematical language proficiency (not necessarily reflected in their Grade 12 results) was shown to contribute significantly towards the prediction of achievement in mathematics at entry level. In addition, anxiety and attitude towards mathematics and the utilisation of effective study behaviour were also shown to be associated with achievement; the latter contributing significantly towards the prediction of achievement at entry level for both degree and extended degree programme students. The findings culminated in recommendations for tertiary institutions, educators and those embarking on future research relating to the theme in question. The issue of measuring basic mathematical skills, including mathematical language proficiency and study strategies of students studying towards careers in SET at the onset of their studies and providing support to improve these, is emphasised. / Prof. J. Strauss

Higher education in South Africa faces a variety of challenges including poor pass rates, large numbers of students dependent on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, intrapersonal and socioeconomic challenges of students and vast numbers of applicants vying for limited places in institutions. The primary method of selection and screening of applicants is the Academic Points Score (APS), calculated on Grade 12 achievement levels. However, large numbers of applicants exhibit similar or identical scores which meet minimum requirements. This makes effective selection difficult in terms of potential to succeed in the tertiary education context. Therefore, additional selection instruments may be useful in determining high from low potential candidates. Cognitive instruments are one option available to institutions and have been investigated to a certain extent, particularly in conjunction with alternative achievement based assessments. The present study examined a cognitive instrument utilised for selections at a University of Technology. The instrument is based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, basic calculative ability, reading comprehension, memory and spatial reasoning. The results on the sub-tests of this instrument were examined in relation to APS and average mark achieved during study for National Diploma courses at the institution. Although statistically significant relationships did exist, as well as some demographic differences, effect sizes and correlation coefficients were small. Concerningly, APS did not explain a large percentage of variance in average mark. This finding is important in light of current selection procedures. Multiple regression and logistic regression models indicated that two specific sub-tests, in combination with APS, did contribute to predictive power in determining average mark. A number of themes in terms of this prediction are explored. These include English language ability, gender differences, specific cognitive skills and the general validity of utilisation of APS and/or cognitive testing as predictors of tertiary education success. In light of poor success rates in tertiary institutions across South Africa, further research into effective selection procedures should be prioritised.

This study attempted the answer to two primary questions: (a) Are strategic thinking skills possessed by college students prior to university matriculation related to their academic success in college, and (b) How does the predictive accuracy afforded by these skills compare to that from high school grade point average or standardized test scores? / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study compares the achievement in three multimedia instructed World Geography classes between two groups of community college students: those students who were U.S. educated (from primary to secondary schools) and those students who were educated outside of the U.S. (from primary to secondary schools). The research was conducted using three World Geography (GEA 2000) classes at a community college in South Florida, between August 2007 and December 2007. The selected students were divided into two groups: one of U.S. educated students and one of non-U.S. educated students, all of whom volunteered their participation at the beginning of the course. The two groups were mixed males and females. The non-U.S. educated students were educated in 17 different countries. Data were obtained by means of test scores. Statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS statistical software. The data generated were analyzed statistically by running four t-tests. The .05 level of significance was selected for analysis of data related to the hypotheses. Overall the statistical difference between the achievement of U.S. educated and non-U.S. educated students in their achievement in multimedia instructed geography classes was non-significant as indicated by the results shown in the statistical analysis in the study. / by Edmar Bernardes Da-Silva. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Mathematics.

Previous research has focused on the role concerted cultivation has played as a pathway to academic achievement and cognitive skill acquisition, but there has been little to no attention given to the potential role concerted cultivation plays as a pathway to non-cognitive factors that shape academic achievement in school. There is substantial evidence that non-cognitive factors significantly determine educational and economic mobility, but we know relatively little about the specific role that parenting style, and concerted cultivation in particular, plays in shaping non-cognitive factors. The work of Bourdieu provides a rationale to hypothesize that the pathway connecting concerted cultivation to academic achievement is mediated by non-cognitive factors. Overall, the results support the central hypothesis of the study positing that non-cognitive factors mediates the relationship between concerted cultivation and academic achievement. Each of the non-cognitive variables assessed, positive behavior, behavior problems, and mastery, significantly mediate the effect concerted cultivation domains have on academic achievement. Specifically, positive behavior significantly mediates the relationship between parental involvement and both reading score and high school GPA; behavior problems significantly mediates the relationship between parental involvement and reading score and language patterns and reading score, and parental involvement and high school GPA and language patterns and high school GPA; and mastery significantly mediates the relationship between parental involvement and reading score.

The attainment of high grades on the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is critical to the future study and employment prospects of many Australian adolescents. Thus it is important to understand the factors that contribute to performance in the VCE. The aims of this study were twofold: the main aim was to test competing models of academic performance, subsuming a range of situational and dispositional variables based on a) self-efficacy theory, b) target and purpose goals, c) cognitive skills and self-regulatory strategies, and d) positive psychology. These models were each tested in terms of English performance and mathematics performance as these units contribute proportionally the most to overall VCE scores. In order to study whether pressures peculiar to the VCE impact on performance, the competing models were tested in a sample of Victorian students prior to the VCE (year 10) and then during the VCE (year 11). A preliminary study was conducted in order to develop and test four scales required for use in the major study, using an independent sample of 302 year nine students. The results indicated that these new scales were psychometrically reliable and valid. Three-hundred and seven Australian students participated in the year 10 and 11 study. These students were successively asked to provide their final years 9, 10 and 11 English and mathematics grades at times one, three and five and to complete a series of questionnaires at times two and four. Results of the year 10 study indicated that models based on self-efficacy theory were the best predictors of both English and mathematics performance, with high past grades, high self-efficacy and low anxiety contributing most to performance. While the year 10 self-efficacy models, target goal models, positive psychology models, self-regulatory models and cognitive skill based models were each robust in the sample in year 11, a substantial increase in explained variance was observed from year 10 to year 11 in the purpose goal models. Results indicated that students’ mastery goals and their performance-approach goals became substantially more predictive in the VCE than they were prior to the VCE. This result can be taken to suggest that these students responded in very instrumental ways to the pressures, and importance, of their VCE. An integrated model based on a combination of the variables from the competing models was also tested in the VCE. Results showed that these models were comparable, both in English and mathematics, to the self-efficacy models, but explained less variance than the purpose goal models. Thus in terms of parsimony the integrated models were not preferred. The implications of these results in terms of teaching practices and school counseling practices are discussed. It is recommended that students be encouraged to maintain a positive outlook in relation to their schoolwork and that they be encouraged to set their VCE goals in terms of a combination of self-referenced (mastery) and other-referenced (performance-approach) goals.

This dissertation focuses on two distinct relationships: 1) classroom peer ability and student end-of-course test outcomes and 2) school tracking policy and student end-of-course test outcomes. Utilizing the education production function and hierarchical linear models, this dissertation contributes to the literature in the field of public policy by extending the work of previous scholars and focusing attention on these relationships in three high school subjects (English I, Algebra I, and Biology). In addition, I present a novel method for identifying tracking intensity within schools. The primary research questions addressed in the dissertation include: 1) To what extent does the ability level of classroom peers contribute to student test score performance?; 2) Does the variability of prior achievement within classrooms correlate with student test score outcomes?; and 3) Is there a relationship between school tracking policy and student test scores? Collectively these questions directly relate to policy options at the school, district, and state levels.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.82-90).