Postsecondary student performance has been studied in great detail by higher education systems and their stakeholders in attempts to identify what may contribute to increased rates of retention and degree completion. Research on predictors of postsecondary performance has focused significantly on the relationship between performance and traditional cognitive measures, yet a growing body of literature examines other factors that may play a role, including that of grit, a non-cognitive trait described as a disposition toward perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Moreover, for graduates who enter the workforce in a profession as demanding as teaching, characteristics such as grit have proven significant in terms of their linkage with success in the profession. This quantitative study was an examination of the relationship between grit and academic performance in order to more accurately identify what may contribute to students’ postsecondary academic performance. Specifically, this study compared the predictive value of grit scores to that of high school GPA and SAT scores, two cognitive variables which have long been considered the best predictors of student academic performance. This study also investigated the role of grit in predicting student GPA in postsecondary study. The study sample was comprised of 130 native first- or second-year students majoring in education. Data for this quantitative study come from the online administration of the Grit-S survey in conjunction with institutional data on student performance. The overall findings of this study contribute to the increased understanding of the complexities related to predictors of postsecondary student performance, specifically in regard to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in education. The findings illustrate a positive, statistically significant relationship between grit and academic performance. Consistent with previous studies, HSGPA was identified as a significant predictor of success at the postsecondary level. Additional key findings and their implications for practice in higher education are presented along with offerings for further research opportunities.

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TITLE: The personality of the individual in the process of attaining social status - from social reproduction to identification of the sources for intergenerational upward social mobility. AUTHOR: Tereza Bariekzahyová DEPARTMENT: Department of Psychology SUPERVISOR: Doc. PhDr. Karel Hnilica, CSc. ABSTRACT: The thesis, in which the view through the sociological prism is enhanced by the lens of psychology, theoretically and empirically examines non-cognitive personality traits and characteristics ('Big Five', Self-esteem, Locus of Control, Willpower), within the context of the social and psychological aspects of attaining social status (influences by one's family, peers and teachers, and others), with a specific focus on intergenerational upward mobility and the identification of its sources. Research for this paper was designed as a combination of (primarily) representative questionnaire surveys among the adult population in the Czech Republic, and qualitative interviews with selected individuals who have shown intergenerational upward mobility. The results show that, aside from cognitive skills, the statistically less relevant and hitherto somewhat neglected non-cognitive traits and characteristics of individuals do play a role in the process of attaining social status. The author has been able to...

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This thesis deals with the possibility to evaluate cognitive and emotional traits and their relations to job positions and functions. The basis is to create a set of tests which could be used during a hiring procedure while deciding among candidates. It also suggests how to classify users based on a set of tests and thereby provide support in choosing the right job. The thesis gives a brief outlook of individually tested traits, describes a proposal of a web application and its implementation, describes implementation of neural network classifier and presents obtained results.