DOCONENT RESUME ED 207 636 Dutrow, Anita Rarceca - Eric

12 Pages·2007·0.28 MB·English

DOCONENT RESUME
,JC 810 550
ED 207 636
Dutrow, Anita Rarceca; Houston, Charles A.
AOTHOR
(An Analysis of the Relationships of Academic Success
TITLE
and Selected Achievement/Attitude Tests.
Jul 81
POB DATE
12p.; Paper presented-itlike Annual Meeting of the
ROTE
Southeistarn'AssoCiaticn for Coasunity College
Research (Orlando,-PL, July 20=22,-1981).
EDRS PRICE
/1,01/PC01 Plus Postage.
*Academic Achievement; CommunityColleges;
DESCRIPTORS
Correlation; *Grade Point Average; *Grade Prediction;
Personality Neaeuream Reading Ability; Reading Tests;
*Student Characteristics;
Scores; Student
Attitudes;
Study Skills; Two Year Colleges; *Two Year College
Students
Dabney S Lancaster Community.College VA
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
.
A study was cons acted at 9abney S. Lancaster
Community College (DSLCC) to examine the relationships ,between,..
/reading achievement, academic 'More selected perponality variables,
_grade point average (GPA) ,, and scores'on-the'Cdoilege guidance an_ d
Sileit Reading Test, the Survey of
rPlacement Test (CGPT).
Study Habits and Attitudes, and'the.California Personality Inventory
were administered to 172 students enrolled in all of the English,
classes offered at DSLCd during spring 1980. The study.revealed the
following: ,(1) reading test scores were not significantly related to
(2) GPA correlated significantly with CGP scores and the
GPA:
personality characteristics of self-acceptance, responsiblity,
tolerance,, achievement via independence, .high intellectual
flexibility, self-control, CGP
efficiency, and femininity; (3)
scores, and work deldy rvoidance were found to contribute
study skills inventory scores were not
significantly to GPA;
;
significantly related to GPA; and (5) feiininit, and achievement via
independence were significantly related to a GPA above 3.0. The study
report inclades recomsendations for further study, statistical data
and a bibliography.
,tables
(KL),,,
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
*
*****************************************e.****************************
a
.-
.
-.0
v.
I-
An Analysis of the Relationships of
Academic Success an0 Selected
AchieliementAttitude Tests
A
by
Anita Marceca Dutrow
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
Route,60
24422
Clifton Forge, Virginia
and
Charles A. Houston
Virginia Western Community College
3095 Colonial Ave., S.W.
24015
Roanoke, Virginia
O
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
_kr)
CENTER (ERIC,
gTh document has been isproducid as
Anita Maresca Dutrow
received from the person or orjanoston
0
originating at
Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quality
Pons of new or opsnibns stated in this docu
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
mint do not wens* represent othosi NIE
INFORMATION CENTEP (ERIC)."
position or policy
lob
The Southeastern Association for Community College Research
July, 3981
elk
6
1
-
Introduction
1
It has become increasingly important that, community colleges,cgptinually
search,for improved methods of instructing a diversified student-population
.
increasingly
In addition, the need for guidance'and counseling has become
backgrounds:many course
necessary because, f these differinA student
Studies (Copeand Hannah, 1975; Astin, 1975;
options and academic majors.
about theiy
and-others) have indicated that' most colleges know very litt1
students in terms of achievements, withdrawals, and graduation rates.
toward
Therefore, it is especially important that research he directed
providing this information in-order to investigate the predispositions-for
.
high/lOw achievements, graduate/non-graduate status, etcs.
:In addition, quantifiable student characttristics should be examined
successful \ollege
as a necessary but not sufficient condition for
The results of these analyses will
experiences in the various programs.
a
d.
qualitative evaluations '
provide insights which can be combined witp
academic success.
necessary to discern the complex dynamics of student
reflected in the
Beca,:se the 'success of a college is most certainly
major efforts should
success of its students in their academic programs,
be directed toward identifying and understanding factors that affect
this succestp
0.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships Letween
r
(1) reading Elchievements; (2) academi6 majors; (3) selected personality
Lancaster Cpmmunit
variables; and (4) grade'point average (GPA)
Thespecific questions'addreskied were:
College, Clifton Forge, Virginia.
level of students with a GPA of ,
Is there a different
readibg
1.
less than'2:00, eith a GPA from 2.00 to 3.00, And with a GPA greater
tit
i.
thaw 3.00?.
to each GPA
What personality characteristics are peculiar
.2.
grade range?
.
students"
What study shills and study attitudes are indicative of,
3.
4
4
b
4
t
Are the average scores statiAtically
in each of the grade ranges?
....
ti
.different .between each GPA grade range?
(CGP) scares
4.. Are the average College Guidance and Placement Teat
statistically different for each GPA grade range?
Is there a relationship between GPA and either)reeding level,
5.
4
study skills, study attitudes, personality characteristics or the CG}?
Can multivariate statistics identify these relationships?
I
Pripcedures of the Study
4.
This study was conducted by administering several tests to 172
.
students enrolled in all, of the English classes at DSLCCiduring spring
developmental
Th,English classes ranged from freshman
quarter, 1980.
-
The students ages ranged
English to sophomore level American literature.
from high school to middle age adult's.
10
3
of
The students completed (1) Iowa Silent Reading Test, consisting
voCebulary. and comprehension questions; (2) Survey of Study Habits-ana
Attitudes; and (3) The California Personality:Inventory.. 'The CGP score
.
.
.
for each student was'found in their admissions file. .
To.
.
The procedures-of the study consisted of.an'analysis of data in terms
4
The design of the study
of descriptive and muitivariate statistics.
utilized John Tukey'sdiptam to "seek for scope.and usefulness rather
theref$re, the authors were willing to experiment in
than security ".
$
order to develop methods that would establish relationships between
student,characterfstics/aptitudes/attitudes and academic succesf
.
Results of the Study
Reading scores on Abp Iowa Silent Reading Test indicated no
.
1.
.,
,
.
.
'
differences between the GPA grade ranges.
.
-
L Student's with OPAI's above 3.00 had significantly stronger
-
.
.
(.10 level) personality characteristics of achievement via independence
t.
k and fehininity.
and Attitudes did not
The retultn of the Survey Rudy Habits
3.
CPA's below 2.00
an appreciable difference betTeen students with
in+icate
Hoviever, the subtest "delay avoidance" di,d contribute
and. those above 3.00.
signifLanily in predicting GPA.
.
Statistically significant differences were found between the mean
Students
CGP scores 'for grade range groups below 2.00-and those above 3.00.
achieving below 2.00 GPA attained significantly lower scores on the COP
0-
than students attaining GPA above 2.00.
4
Summary; Conclusions, Recommendations.
.
GPA
The students were grouped into three categories by GPA:
1.
The various
below 2., GPA between 2:00 and 3.00, and GPA above 3.00:
0
scores-were then averaged solthere is an average score for each subscore
',This grouping indicated a statistically
to reflect each GPA category.
(Table 3)
significant difference in CGP scores between the three groups.
This information indicates that the CGP scores do predict students
c't
The average CGP 'scores for
who will probably achieve below a 2.00 GPA.
An exact cut off score for those students-who can
these students was 37.
be relitply predicted to achieve below a 2.00 can be computed.
GPA correlates Statisticall4significantly with CGP scores end
2.
of self-acceptance, responsibility,
the,personality &:Aracteristics
tolerance, achievement via independendk, high intellectual efficiency
and femininity. (Table 1)
Since theSe factors were highly correlated it became important to
weigh each offthe factors in order to further pinpoint the variability
In addition, this information indicated that further data should
of GPA.
-bc collected to establish a correlation between these various factors and
the many different curricula available at DSLCC.
.
.
The use of a prediction formula (multiple regression) to deterene
3.
the factors which contributed significantly to GPA indicated f9ur variables.
Thee variants are flexibility, self- control, CGS' scores, and work delay
(Table 2)
avoidance.
Although the results of this formula were interesting and infbrmative,
This woul0 again indicate that the data
R square had a low value.
tk
would be more 'valuable if it was domplAted for each (urriulum.
5
grouped into GPA
When the study skills. inventory scores were
4.
between
categories there were no statistically significant differences
-study skills in the three groups.
personality characteristics
A correlation between GPA and
5.
above 3.00 GPA
indicated the presence of two cbaracteristics'in the
and femininity:
These factors are achievement via independence
range:
students wh-.) wish to
This positive correlation indicates that those
subjects achieve the higher
do well by working independently on,their
characteristics
Additionally, those students whose personality
GPA's.
achieve a higher GPA.
fall into the "femininity" category generally
category to depict someone
The California%Personality Inventory uses.4,his
gentle, moderate, persevering,
who is "appreciative, patient, helpful,
and accepting of others: and as behaving
and sincere: as being respectful
in a conscientious and sympathetic way."
these two
This research showed a positive correlation between
However, a cross validation study which
personality facets and GPA.
substantiate this correlation.
tested another 174 students would further
follows:
Recommendations for further studies were cited as
These studies
investigated.
Cross-validlition studies should be
1.
project with"another group of
would substantiate the data found in this
students.
and/or faculty estima-
Qualitative variables such as counselor
2.
.,
should be discerned.
tion of GPA,and probabilities of graduation
investigated.
Similar studies by curricula should be
3.
P
6
In summary, the study identified the complexity of examining and
Additions.l studies must be directed co .,
explaining student achievement.
this topic in order to insure that continued efforts are made to provide
the best edudational opportunity for all citizens of the College.
/(j,
a
ir
\
8
7
ISRT
GPA and SSHA,
Table 1:
GPA
.210
CGP
SX,- study orientatior
.072,
SSHA
.096
DA - delay avoidance
.083
WM -. work methods
.093
SM- study habits
...
.048
TA - teacher approval
-
.062
EA - education acceptance
SA - study attitudes
.053
.
.083
DX - dothinance_
CPI
:120
CS - capacity for status
Ac
SY - sociability
'.076
SP - social presence
.042
ST - self acceptance
.108*
'.020
WB - sense of well-being'
.
-.138**
RE --responaibility
--
Iliwie -.Nor
.-,-
-087
socialization
SZ
.021
GC
,.
self - control "I.
-'.107*
tolerance'
TX
.008
good impression_
GI
MO
CM
.058
communability
achlyvement via conformance
.060
AC
.0165**
chievement via independence
AI
.108*
LX
intellectual ,efficiencY
.098
psyChological -mindedness
PY
flexibility_
.055
FX
.131**.
femininity
FE
?:
RBaEtng level'
ISRT
.072.
Vocabulaty level
.,962---
--,
.062
Comprehension level
*Significant at .10 le41
**Significant at .05 leirel
Stepwise Multiple Regression
Table 2:
4
GPA
DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
.
.SC
VARIABLE(S) ENTERED ON STEP NUMBER 5.
MULTIPLE R
0.43128
R SQUARE
0:18601
ADJUSTED R SQUARE
0.16088
4
STANDARD ERROR
0.73304
VARIABLES IN THE EQUATION
STD
BETA
B
VARIABLE
FX
0.31335
0.2966359D-01
0.14633
0.6650922D-02
CGP
0.14523
0.8840087D-02
-DA
-0.18804
-0.1328211D-016,
SC
-
(CONSTANT) 0.9403942
.
,
a
10