Cognitive ability, learning potential, and personality traits as predictors of academic achievement by engineering and other science and technology students

Eeden, René van; Beer, Marie De; Coetzee, C.H.

doi:10.4314/sajhe.v15i1.25392

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Research results on the LPCAT have shown evidence on its reliability and validity for different groups (De Beer, 2000b, 2005Van der Merwe & De Beer, 2006;Van Eeden, De Beer & Coetzee, 2001). The fact that differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was used during test construction to eliminate biased items (De Beer, 2004), that the LPCAT incorporates DA and CAT in a power test with non-verbal figural content, uses only the space bar and Enter keys during administration and that the test instructions are available in all 11 South African indigenous languages goes some way with regard to the fairness requirement in the South African context.…”

Section: The Legal-professional Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Longitudinal Predictive Validity of a Learning Potential Test

Beer

2010

Journal of Psychology in Africa

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Section: The Legal-professional Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Construct and predictive validity results for the LPCAT for samples at various educational levels have been reported (De Beer, 2000b, 2005Van der Merwe & De Beer, 2006;Van Eeden et al, 2001). …”

Section: The Legal-professional Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Predictive Validity of a Learning Potential Test

Beer

2010

Journal of Psychology in Africa

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“…In general, the more clinical and unstandardised the approach -possibly with diagnosis or enrichment as the focus -the less comparable the results of different individuals become. South African researchers have contributed both in the development of instruments for the measurement of learning potential and also in research contributing to the available information on the validity of dynamic testing measures (Boeyens, 1989;De Beer, 2000a, 2000b, 2003, 2005Lopes, Roodt & Mauer, 2001;Shochet, 1992Shochet, , 1994Taylor, 1992Taylor, , 1994aTaylor, , 1994bVan Eeden, De Beer & Coetzee, 2001). Murphy (2002 provides an extensive overview of South African research in dynamic assessment, providing a mixture of positive and negative results with a variety of approaches and methodologies used.…”

Section: Modern Trends In Cognitive Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic testing: Practical solutions to some concerns

Beer

2006

SA j ind psychol

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Although the concept of dynamic testing is generally well supported, some concerns have been raised about the general and more widespread practical application and use of these procedures. The main problem areas that have been noted are the amount of time needed to administer dynamic assessment measures (compared with standard tests), the lack of standardisation of procedures (impacting on the accuracy of measurement and interpretation) and the limited validity information available for dynamic measures. This article provides background on and research results of the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT), a dynamic learning potential test. The methodology used in this instrument addresses some of the concerns that have been noted about dynamic assessment, namely the use of standardised procedures; the improvement of measurement accuracy with the use of Item Response Theory (IRT); and the use of Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT) to improve the time efficiency of dynamic testing and obtaining empirical research results for construct and predictive validity.

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“…In addition, many studies have found that matriculation results were not necessarily reliable predictors of success at tertiary level (Van Eeden et al 2001;Koch et al 2001;Koch and Foxcroft 2003;Grussendorff et al 2004;Fraser and Killen 2005;Van der Merwe and De Beer 2006;Enslin et al 2006;Cliff and Hanslo 2009;Fleisch et al 2015). Consequently, in order to manage the tradeoff between maintaining academic excellence yet increasing access in a politically sensitive manner, tests which could predict academic success came into use (Biggs 2003;Grussendorff et al 2004;Van der Merwe and de Beer 2006;Fleisch et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This may be due to an English language proficiency deficit (Sebolai 2013;Van Wyk 2014). That is, students enter into tertiary studies with a poor command of the language of teaching and learning (LoLT), leading to academic failure (Cottrell 2001;Van Eeden et al 2001;Fleisch et al 2015). If this is the case, then extensive scaffolding is required to enable additional-language English speakers to access texts, expand their scientific register, and become familiar with academic discourse (Weideman and Van Rensburg 2002;Du Plessis and Van Rensburg 2006;Uys et al 2007;Singh 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Academic success, language and the four year degree: A case study of a 2007 cohort

McKay

2016

SAJHE

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Tension exists between broadening access to tertiary education and ensuring throughput; as simply enrolling underprepared students into three-year degree programmes can be counterproductive, leading to failure and an increased dropout rate. Thus, correct placement of students and effective teaching interventions are crucial. On this basis, the University of Johannesburg implemented a four year BSc degree. Typical of many extended degree interventions, the first year was offered over a two year period, with an intensive teaching programme designed to reinforce and promote academic literacy skills. This case study tracked a cohort of such students. The class was multi-racial, multi-ethnic and mixed gender. In the main, students had poor school results and weak language abilities. Using the Placement Test in English for Educational Purposes' (PTEEP) test as a pre and post intervention test, demonstrated that the academic intervention improved the academic literacy levels of all the students, but students hailing from poor, disadvantaged schools, who wrote English as a Second Language for matric, benefitted the most. From a gender perspective, black female students gained the most from the intervention. Still, in general, the higher the original (PTEEP) score, the more likely the student was to succeed. Students who attended well-resourced schools and wrote English First Language for matric generally obtained high PTEEP scores. In terms of graduation rates, a four year degree, combined with an intervention such as described here, can increase epistemological access to the Sciences. Importantly, success was nuanced, as there were still drop outs and academic exclusions. Not all were able to graduate within four years and some had to change to other degree programmes.

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Cognitive ability, learning potential, and personality traits as predictors of academic achievement by engineering and other science and technology students

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

Longitudinal Predictive Validity of a Learning Potential Test

Longitudinal Predictive Validity of a Learning Potential Test

Dynamic testing: Practical solutions to some concerns

Academic success, language and the four year degree: A case study of a 2007 cohort

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