The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between individual student differences and academic success in three pedagogical methods (traditional classroom, computer-aided instruction (CAI) in an on-campus setting, and CAI in a distance education setting) for developmental mathematics classes at the community college level. Locus of control, math anxiety and learning style were the individual differences examined. Final grade, final exam score and persistence were the indicators of success. The literature review focused on developmental mathematics, pedagogical techniques and variables contributing to academic performance. Two parallel research populations consisted of 135 Beginning Algebra students and 113 Intermediate Algebra students. The Rotter I-E Locus of Control Scale, the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, the 4MAT Learning Type Measure, and an instrument to gather demographic data were used. It was the conclusion of this study that the instructional methods were not equal with respect to achievement. In Beginning Algebra, the CAI students received significantly higher final grades than did the traditionally taught students. In Intermediate Algebra traditional students scored significantly higher on the final exam than did the CBI students. There were more students persisting than expected in traditionally taught Beginning Algebra and no significant difference in attrition in Intermediate Algebra. There was no significant prediction of achievement in Beginning Algebra. For Intermediate Algebra math anxiety was a significant predictor for final exam percentage and locus of control was a significant predictor for final grade percentage. Only the instructional method contributed significantly to the prediction of attrition. While these findings are statistically significant, they account for only a small part of student success. However, the results had implications for the future. In particular, further study should be given to the question of whether CAI, and its associated expenses, is prudent for developmental mathematics instruction.

Florida has been a leader in the K-20 educational reform in an effort to ensure the seamless transition into postsecondary education for all students, but specifically improving preparation for, and access to, higher education for populations traditionally marginalized and underrepresented in higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic composition of students participating in dual enrollment programs in Florida, and the relationship between dual enrollment participation and postsecondary success, as measured by student persistence and degree attainment, moderated by race, gender, and Pell status. Alexander Astin's (1993) I-E-O student involvement theory was chosen as the theoretical lens with which to guide the design and analysis of the study. A quantitative analysis of archived student records retrieved from the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at a large urban state college in Florida was used in this study. ... The analysis revealed that students who were dual enrolled were more likely to persist in college and more likely to earn a degree than their non-dual enrolled peers. / by Karline S. Prophete. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The Counselor Education Program at Portland State University currently uses five admission criteria to determine the acceptance or rejection of applicants. These criteria include letters of reference, a panel interview, a writing sample, the applicant's undergraduate GPA (UGPA), and the applicant's score on either the MAT or the GRE. Scores on these measures are adjusted and combined to create a single total score upon which admission decisions are based. The present study attempts to evaluate the validity of these admission criteria in predicting success in the Counselor Education Program at Portland State University. For the purpose of this study, student success was defined in terms of both the GPA upon graduation from the program and ratings of student clinical counseling skills by program faculty. The subjects were graduates of the program who had been admitted between the years 1988 and 1991. Information collected for analysis included scores on the admission criteria and GPA upon graduation, age at admission, counseling specialization, and gender. A questionnaire was then developed which asked the program faculty to rate the students' clinical counseling skills. An analysis of the correlation between scores on the admission criteria and scores on the outcome criteria (graduate GPA and clinical skills score) was performed using the SPSS Statistical Package. Regression analysis showed that among the admission criteria only the MAT score significantly determined success on the outcome criteria. Gender was inversely predictive of graduate GPA (i.e., being female correlated with higher graduate GPA). Further research, using alternative measures of counseling skill, is indicated. These results suggest the need for such research, and for further evaluation of the current admission criteria.

The current study set out to determine the relationship between student gradelevel, implicit views of science ability, science achievement and science interest.Differences by grade level were also explored. The study also considered the differences in male and female implicit theories of science ability, science interest, and science achievement. Participants in the current study consisted of a total of 1910 students from six elementary schools from one south-central Kentucky district that participate in Project GEMS (Gifted Education in Math and Science). Data were analyzed by means of analysis of variance and Pearson correlations. Younger students evidenced lower scores on the implicit theories measure. No gender differences were observed in implicit theories of science ability or science interest. Females did evidence lower achievement in science than males. Implicit theories of science ability were significantly and positively correlated with science achievement. Conversely, no such relationship existed between implicit theories of science ability and interest. Limitations of the current study are discussed and possible future directions are offered. Findings from the current study underscore the importance of considering domain-specific views of ability when addressing poor science performance and when considering gender gaps in science achievement.

Most of today's college students perceive higher education as the most critical element to their future success, quality of life, financial security, and general well-being. Consequently, more and more students entering colleges and universities choose to major in professional or pre-professional programs such as business, engineering, pre-med or pre-law. The majority of past research has concentrated on student attrition and retention in undergraduate education for the majority population. These studies have not enabled scholars to obtain a deeper understanding of the factors relating to minority populations -- especially those from the Hispanic community. In addition, the majority of these studies have not provided an understanding of students' progress and eventual success in legal education. The purpose of this study was to determine which variables from commonly accepted foundational theories on higher education retention, attrition, and student development are applicable to the first-year experiences of Hispanic students enrolled in a Juris Doctorate Program at an accredited law school at a public institution who are the first in their family to attend. Using both a survey instrument and narrative interviews, the study revealed that first-generation Hispanic students are disadvantaged compared to their peers when it came to understanding important law school financial, cultural, and academic issues. While family support, faculty relationships, law school study/support groups, academic mentoring, and academic advising positively influenced first-year progress; the respondents' cultural identity and race negatively impacted faculty and peer interactions both in and out of the classroom. The lack of need-based financial aid, higher tuition costs associated with legal education, tuition deregulation, increased debt from borrowing, and poor information about financial assistance all negatively affected their success. The negative effects of stress and anxiety permeated numerous first-year experiences including law school orientation, law school classes, final exams, grades, and figuring out how to pay for school. These results should help key stakeholders associated including faculty and administrators to better understand minority student issues and the impact of stereotype threats specific to the legal education context in an effort to reduce first-year attrition rates and improve minority access to the legal profession. / text

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-152).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-152). Also available in print.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The dire educational situation in South Africa has urged researchers to investigate possible predictors of academic success. There seems to be an increasing emphasis on non–cognitive factors that might play a role in determining the academic performance of students. In this study various unique challenges first-year students face were underlined, followed by possible key psychological resources needed to overcome such challenges. These resources include self-regulatory skills (i.e. self-leadership and emotional regulation), psychological well-being and constructive self-efficacy beliefs that could all ultimately help determine an individual’s academic success. It was hypothesised that Emotional Intelligence (EI) are central to these psychological resources and play a crucial role in the adaption and performance of first-year students in higher educational institutions. In this study an EI development programme was therefore implemented in order to evaluate whether it is possible to provide students with a powerful resource reservoir (i.e. high EI capabilities) in order to empower them to acquire additional personal and psychological resource (i.e. academic self-leadership, academic self-efficacy and well-being) that are needed to attain academic success. The findings of this study revealed that the EI development programme succeeded in elevating students’ EI, which also led to moderate improvements in their psychological well-being (i.e. less perceived stress), as well as the enhancement of their academic self-leadership (ASL) and academic self-efficacy (ASE) skills and abilities. Institutes of higher education should therefore rethink the emphasis they place on cognitive abilities alone and consider the strategy of also providing opportunities to enhance non-cognitive predictors of academic success. For example, by implementing EI development programmes, such as the one tested in this research, students have a greater chance of developing the necessary self-direction and self-regulation skills necessary to reach academic greatness which, most probably, will also facilitate better employability and career success. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die teleurstellende opvoedkundige situasie in Suid-Afrika het navorsers genoodsaak om moontlike voorspellers aangaande akademiese prestasie te ondersoek. Dit blyk dat daar 'n toenemende klem op nie-kognitiewe faktore geplaas word, wat 'n rol mag speel in die bepaling van die akademiese prestasie van studente. In hierdie studie word verskeie unieke uitdagings wat eerstejaarstudente moontlik in die gesig mag staar geïdentifiseer. Daar word dan ook gekyk na moontlike sleutel sielkundige hulpbronne wat kan help om hierdie uitdagings te oorkom. Hierdie hulpbronne sluit selfregulerende vaardighede (bv. self-leierskap en emosionele regulering), sielkundige welstand en konstruktiewe self-doeltreffendheid in, wat almal uiteindelik ʼn bydrae kan lewer tot ʼn individu se akademiese sukses. Dit was veronderstel dat Emosionele Intelligensie (EI) die kern tot hierdie sielkundige hulpbronne is, en dat dit ʼn beslissende rol in die aanpassing en prestasie van eerstejaarstudente in Hoër Onderwys Instellings speel. In hierdie studie is 'n EI-ontwikkelingsprogram geïmplementeer ten einde te evalueer of dit moontlik is om studente te voorsien met ʼn sterk sielkundige hulpbron basis (bv. hoër EI vermoëns) wat hulle behoort te bemagtig om bykomende persoonlike en sielkundige hulpbronne te verkry (bv. beter self-leierskap, self-doeltreffendheid en sielkundige welstand), wat nodig is vir akademiese vooruitgang. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het getoon dat die EI-ontwikkelingsprogram daarin geslaag het om studente se EI te verhoog, wat tot gematigde verbetering in hul sielkundige welstand (minder waargenome stres) gelei het, sowel as die verbetering van hul akademiese self-leierskap (ASL) en akademiese self-doeltreffendheid (ASE). Instellings van Hoër Onderwys moet dus die klem wat alleenlik op kognitiewe vermoëns geplaas word opnuut deurdink, en strategieë oorweeg om geleenthede te skep wat nie-kognitiewe voorspellers van akademiese sukses sou verhoog. Deur byvoorbeeld die implementering van ʼn EI ontwikkelingsprogram, soos wat getoets word in hierdie navorsing, te implementeer, sou studente 'n beter kans hê om die nodige self-gerigtheid en selfregulerende vaardighede te bekom, wat nodig is vir akademiese sukses en vordering. Hierdie vaardighede sal waarskynlik ook lei tot beter indiensneembaarheid sowel as loopbaansukses.

Die doel van voorligting is om 'n persoon tot selfaktualisering te lei, of anders gestel, om hom te help om sy volle potensiaal te verwesenlik. Die doel wat ook op 'n leersituasie van toepassing is, word moeilik bereik indien 'n leerling onbewus van of onrealisties oar sy potensiaal is. So 'n leerling sal baat vind by 'n voorligtingsprogram waarin realistiese prestasievlakke bepaal word. 'n Empiriese ondersoek waarby 124 graad 11- leerlinge betrek is, is uitgevoer. Veranderlikes soos intelligensie, aanleg, selfkonsep, motivering, belangstelling (brein voorkeur) en studieorientasie is met betroubare instrumente gemeet en deur middel van regressie-analises gekombineer ten einde variansie in prestasie te verklaar. Regressievergelykings is opgestel waarmee realistiese punte in die vernaamste vakke bepaal kan word. / The aim of guidance is to lead a person to self-actualisation or stated differently, to help him to develop his full potential. This aim, which is also applicable to a learning situation, is difficult to attain if a pupil is unaware of, or unrealistic about his potential. Such a pupil will benefit from a guidance programme in which realistic achievement levels are determined. An empirical investigation which involved 124 grade 11 pupils was carried out. Variables such as intelligence, aptitude, self­ concept, motivation, interest (brain preference) and study orientation were measured with reliable instruments, and by means of regression analyses combinations were found to explain the variance in achievement. Regression equations were formulated with which realistic scores could be determined in the most important subjects. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Based on linear models, this study demonstrated that the psychological and social structures of the classroom, viewed as a naturalistic human system, impact learning outcomes. To operationalize learning outcomes, final grades in the course and a subject self report scale tapping perceptions of utility of material taught were used. The social and psychological structures of the classroom-as-a-human-system were operationalized through the following variables: the degree of social integration of each student, based on network analytic procedures; communication apprehension of students; dimensions of perceived credibility of instructors; dimensions of interpersonal attraction to instructors; perceived satisfaction with task demands of the course; and adjusted orientation to communication, based on communication apprehension scores and network data. Data were obtained from five sections of a multi-section communication course of a large state institution of higher learning in the southwestern region of the United States. Differences in sex were not found.