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Factors that Predict Academic Achievement for Undecided Students

Factors that Predict Academic Achievement for Undecided Students. NACADA 2010 Annual Conference Kimberly S. Brown, PhD Director of the University Academic Advising Center. Today’s Agenda.

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Factors that Predict Academic Achievement for Undecided Students

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  1. Factors that Predict Academic Achievement for Undecided Students NACADA 2010 Annual Conference Kimberly S. Brown, PhD Director of the University Academic Advising Center

  2. Today’s Agenda The purpose of this session is to share findings of a recent study examining which factors could predict the academic achievement of undecided students. • Review of literature • Methodology • Results • Relationship of findings to prior research • Implications for future practice, research and policy • Limitations • Discussion

  3. Literature Academic Achievement • A student’s ability to meet or exceed the academic standards of a given institution (Brown, 2009) Undecided Students • Students who are “unwilling, unable, or unready to make educational or vocational decisions” (Gordon, 1995)

  4. Literature:Academic Achievement Importance: It reflects one measure of students’ acquisition of important skills and attributes considered necessary to demonstrate learning has occurred. Benefits:

  5. Literature:Factors that influence AA • Background characteristics • Self-perception of abilities • Degree aspirations • Choice of major

  6. Literature:Undecided Students Who are they? • Less likely to persist • Lower scores • Lower academic performance • Rapidly increasing population

  7. Literature:Undecided Status When considering issues related to undecided students, it is imperative to consider the varying levels of undecidedness (Gordon, 1988) At study institution:

  8. Literature:Pre-College Characteristics • Background Characteristics • high school achievement • gender • SAT score • ethnicity • parental education • parental income • Self-perception of Abilities • analytic ability • artistic ability • leadership ability • emotional health • Degree Aspiration

  9. Literature:Academic Achievement and GPA • GPA is commonly used as an indicator of student achievement • 1st year GPA is a measure of the consistent academic achievement of a student across terms • (Brashears & Baker, 2003) • GPA has been found to be significant predictor of persistence • (Allen, 1999; Mitchel, Goldman, & Smith, 1999)

  10. Purpose of this study… To determine the relationship between academic achievement and undecided status and how much variance in academic achievement can be explained by pre-college characteristics.

  11. Research Questions • Are there statistically significant differences between SMs and NSMs in terms of background characteristics? • Are there statistically significant differences between SMs and NSMs in terms of self-perceptions of abilities? • Are there statistically significant differences between SMs and NSMs in terms of degree aspirations? • Are there statistically significant differences between SMs and NSMs in terms of academic achievement (first year GPA)? • For NSMs, how much variance in GPA is explained by pre-college characteristics? • For SMs, how much variance in GPA is explained by pre-college characteristics?

  12. Methodology

  13. Methodology N=852 NSM=538 SM=314 N=3,964

  14. Methodology Questions 1-4 Conducted chi-squares and t-tests (as appropriate) to determine whether significant differences (p<.05) existed Questions 5 & 6 Multiple linear regression was employed to determine how much variance was explained by the precollege characteristics

  15. RESULTS: NSMs vs. SMs Background Characteristics Self-perception of Abilities • Sex • SAT • High school achievement • Parental income • Race • Parental education • Analytic ability • Artistic ability • Leadership ability • Emotional health Degree Aspirations Academic Achievement • No significant differences • NSMs

  16. RESULTS: PREDICTING AA NSMs 4 significant predictors • High school achievement • Parental education • SAT • Sex F(11, 526)=9.582, p=.000 16.7% of variance explained SMs 3 significant predictors • High school achievement • Parental education • Sex F(11,302)9.726, p=.028 6.6% of variance explained

  17. Relationship to Prior Research • Academic achievement of females • GPA (HS) consistent predictor of academic achievement in college • Parental education=positive influence on academic achievement • Self-perception of abilities varied • Undecided students=lower levels of academic success • All undecided students are the same

  18. Implications for Future Practice • High schools • Admission counselors • Academic support providers • Academic advisors Research • Qualitative data • Non- self reported data • Longitudinal lens • Alternative measures of academic achievement • Policy • Recruitment and admissions • Academic support services • Change of major process

  19. Limitations • Generalizability • Definition of achievement • Classification of undecided students

  20. Kimberly S. Brown, PhD Director of the University Academic Advising Center Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ksbrown@vt.edu QUESTIONS?

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