The APS and Undergraduate Performance in Construction Economics in South Africa
| Autor: | Danie Hoffman |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Medical education
Variables Process (engineering) media_common.quotation_subject ComputerSystemsOrganization_COMPUTER-COMMUNICATIONNETWORKS Cognition Undergraduate studies School performance ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION New entrants Correlation factors Psychology Selection (genetic algorithm) media_common |
| Zdroj: | Advances in Human Factors in Training, Education, and Learning Sciences ISBN: 9783030799991 AHFE (11) |
| DOI: | 10.1007/978-3-030-80000-0_28 |
| Popis: | The BSc in Quantity Surveying (QS) is a three-year program offered by the Department of Construction Economics, University of Pretoria, South Africa. New entrants require an Admission Points Score (APS) of 30. The Department strives for better marks in the first year of study and a better throughput rate of enrolled students. The Department needs confirmation of the validity of the APS as an entry threshold requirement. This study evaluated students’ APS against their undergraduate academic performance using data from 2010 to 2015 in a stratified study. Considering the APS of students within these groups as the independent variable, the study found the following correlation factors with aspects of undergraduate performance as the dependent variable: first-year marks (0,979), the % of students who qualified (0,972), the % of students qualifying in three years (0,969) and the % of students passing with distinction (0,776). However, the study also found evidence supporting previous research that the APS is overvaluing students’ ability. Compared to their APS, the top grouping of students achieved 10–15% lower marks in undergraduate studies. Some of the study data also indicate that students’ non-cognitive skills need to be considered in combination with the cognitive abilities represented by the APS to explain student academic performance. The study, however, confirmed the APS’s importance as an indicator of undergraduate performance. The APS should remain part of the selection process of applications from new entrants. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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