Recommended curricular change and scholastic performance.

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of counselor recommendations regarding curricular change, 1526 freshmen were classified according to their curricular choice in relation to counselor recommendation. An analysis of covariance indicated a significant relationship (p < .05) between scholastic performance and type of curricular decision made by a student in relation to the counselor recommendation. A 2nd analysis (N = 286) investigated the effect of strength of the counselor's recommendation for curricular change. Students less strongly urged to change curricula and who made an inappropriate change, obtained a significantly (p < .05) higher mean grade point average than students who received a strong recommendation to change. In both analyses, the student's predicted grade point average served as the adjusting variable. Results were discussed in terms of counselor judgments, motivational factors related to curricular change, the adequacy of tests used to make individual predictions, and the moderator effects which type of curriculum has upon performance.

Counseling Research, Theory and Practice--1965.

“…Hendrix (1965) indicates that the grade-point averages of 20 counseled but "low-predicted GPA's" were significantlv higher than the grade-point averages of 60 other "low-predicted GPA's" who were seen by regular faculty advisors. In another variation of the theme, Marks, Ashby and Zeigler (1965) establish a significant relationship between scholastic performance and the type of decision made by a student in relation to the counselor's recommendation In an important modification. the> find that students less strongly urged to change curricula and who made an inappropriate change, obtained significantly higher mean grade-point averages thau students receiving a strong recommendation to change.…”