The mystery of student selection: are there any selection criteria?

Abstract

First-year students are still failing at an alarming rate. This is an international issue that universities face and there is currently no clear indication of the cause of the problem as universities move from being elite to providing mass education. This article examines the possible correlation between students' high school performance and first-year performance. The focus is primarily on the students' performance in mathematics and English. National Senior Certificate results as well as academic and mathematics competency results are used to determine any correlations and therefore any predictors. The research is done to determine whether these results are a true reflection of a student's performance and can be used as selection criteria. The results were disappointing since no correlation was found between students' high school performance and first-year performance. There is an indication, however, that the competency results might be an indicator. The results imply that more research is needed and that the current selection criteria are either not valid or need to be adjusted. IntroductionGrade 12 learners that enrol for studies at any South African (SA) university are not prepared for the challenges of tertiary studies. This is specifically applicable to students who enrol for studies in the information technology (IT) disciplines.The problem that IT departments at SA universities experience is that first-year students do not perform well and that there is a significant dropout in the first year of studies. Departments are making extensive use of Grade 12 results focusing on mathematics and English as predictors of future performance. The question posed in this article is whether mathematics and English are relevant in selecting prospective students. The problem at this point in time is that results from the new National Senior Certificate (NSC) introduced at the end of 2008 are the only guidance that IT departments have to select students. The question arises whether these results are a fair determination of a learner's future performance at a university.Various studies worldwide as well as in South Africa have tried to indicate what predictors universities can utilise to determine future success of students. This has become more and more of a problem as universities move from being elitist to providing mass education. Research was done in Australia to determine how students from various cultures and academic backgrounds can be successfully incorporated into universities. The research is still ongoing but the indication is that students need more

Reliability and Efficiency of Computerized Systems for Admission into Colleges of Education Affiliated with the University of Cape Coast

“…Moreover, the results revealed that admission of graduate students from senior high school had been shown to improve the programme objectives of the computerized system for admission. The findings is similar to that of Marnewick [31]. Furthermore, the results of the study found that each student's record is personally checked at ease with the help of the computerized system to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirements for admission [47][48][49][50][51].…”

“…The admission of students from senior high school has proven to enhance the programme's objectives [4], for example, because it brings unique perspectives that enrich students' experiences of education, the Admissions Committee can recognise the value of a diverse student body. Various backgrounds maybe also in terms of academic records, the rural upbringing of students, ethnic, social, and gender classifications [31]. The concept of affirmative action as in other countries such as the US, promotes diversity independent of candidate ranking [32].…”

Predictive validity of the National Benchmark Test and National Senior Certificate for the academic success of first-year medical students at one South African university

“…Higher Education South Africa 2 commissioned the NBT in 2005, to complement the NSC results and to provide universities with information about first-year university students' entry-level skills [7,8]. The NBTs are written in the final year (grade 12) of the Further Education Training level by prospective university entrants, depending on the admission requirements of the degree they intend studying.…”

“…Given the need to improve the retention and throughput of South African medical students, it is imperative to understand the predictive validity of the NBT and NSC results as selection tools for entry into medical programmes. While many studies have investigated the predictive validity of the NSC [8,26,27] and the NBT [7,9], and the combined predictive validity of the NBT and the NSC [15,28] for student performance, such research has not been conducted for first-year South African medical students at Wits University. Understanding the link between students' performance in the NBT and the first year of the MBBCh degree will provide a measure of whether the combination of the NSC and NBT can discriminate between students with the potential to succeed academically and those without, to identify students [6] Higher Certificate Pass the NSC with at least a rating of 2 (30-39%) for the language of learning and teaching of higher education institutions.…”

Does Pre-Admissions Testing Play a Role in Math Performance Among Students Enrolled in a 2-Year Practical Nursing Diploma Program?

“…The selected pre-admissions test was the HOAE exam (Health Occupation Aptitude Examination), a multiple choice examination that assesses student's skill and aptitude in English, math, critical thinking, and problem solving. Since past academic achievement in math and verbal ability are typically indicative of future college performance (Marnewick, 2012;Schmitt, 2012), these two topics were selected as the two essential components to be included in the HOAE test utilized by FAHCS at Sheridan College. The test is heavily utilized by many Colleges in Ontario as an entrance criterion for admissions into College-level Health Professional Programs.…”