AIM OF THE STUDY -
The general aim of the study is to design a selection test
battery that can be used to screen students for the diploma
courses in Management practice and Personnel management before
the enrolment at the Witwatersrand Technikon.
The specific aims are twofold: namely theoretical and empirical.
The theoretical aim is firstly to give some perspective as
far as the use of psychometric tests in the selection procedure,
and secondly to give an overview of those factors that affect
academic performance.
The empirical aim consists of three objectives:
To determine which factors are significantly related to
academic performance of first year students for the Management
practice and the Personnel management courses, respectively.
To determine those factors that reflect a significant
difference between the successful and unsuccessful students
in both diploma courses.
To develop a profile of the successful and unsuccessful groups'
test performances for selection purposes.
METHOD OF INVESTIGATION -
A study of the relevant literature was undertaken concerning
the role of psychometric tests in the selection procedure,
as well as the effect of different cognitive and non-cognitive
factors on academic performance.
As a result of the limited number of first year students in
these two courses, the total first year student group was
involved in this study.
The psychometric tests used in this study are the 19 Field
Interest Inventory, the Structured Objective Rorschach test
(SORT), The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA), the
16 Personality factor questionnaire {16PF), the subtest Mental
Alertness of the Intermediate Battery and the Academic
Achievement Battery.
RESULTS OF THE MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS -
The test that shows the highest correlation with academic
performance for both groups is the 16PF. In the case of the
Management practice group, the correlation is 0,62 and for
the Personnel management group, the correlation is 0,77.
The Management practice group also reflected correlations between
academic performance and previous performance (r=0,48) and
between academic performance and interest (r=0,63).
On the other hand, correlations were also found between academic
performance and the SSHA ( r=O, 5 9) and between academic
performance and mental alertness (r=0,42) concerning the
Personnel management group.
The 16PF therefore showed the highest correlation with academic
performance for both groups. As a result of these findings
and the relatively small population group used in this study
it was decided, for the remainder of the investigation to combine
the two groups. The new combined group was then subdivided
into a successful and an unsuccessful group.
RESULTS OF THE PROFILE ANALYSIS -
The successful group obtained average scores which were higher
than those of the unsuccessful group on eight factors of the
16PF. These eight factors are: A(Sociality), B (Intelligence),
E(Dominance), F(Carefreeness), H (Social venturesomeness), L(Suspiciousness), N(Astuteness) and Ql(Radicalism). Of these
eight factors, the differences for the last three are very
insignificant.
The unsuccessful group obtained higher average scores on the
remaining eight factors but once again these differences are
insignificant.
RESULTS OF THE t-TEST -
Significant differences were found between the successful and
unsuccessful groups with regard to factors A(Sociality),
B(Intelligence) and F(Carefreeness) on the 0,01-level while
significant differences on the 0,05-level were obtained on
factors E(Dominance) and Q3(Self-control).
These results can be summarised as follows:
* The successful group• is definitely more social, in other
words more outgoing, carefree and more participative than
the unsuccessful group.
* The successful group has a greater mental ability than the
unsuccessful group, is more independent and shows more
enthusiasm.
* The unsuccessful group shows a greater degree of self-control
than the successful group with the result that they experience
more anxiety in the process.
According to this study, personality factors seem to play a
more significant role than any other factors as measured in
this particular case. Biographical data should also be
considered in a study like this as this might possibly lead
to other factors that influence academic performance. / Skripsie (MA)--PU vir CHO, 1987
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/10979 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | Malan, Jan Christoffel |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Language | other |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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