Measuring readiness and success at a higher education institution
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Date
Authors
Lemmens, Juan-Claude
Du Plessis, Gerhard I.
Maree, David J.F.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elliot & Fitzpatrick
Abstract
This study investigated readiness as a correlate of academic success among beginning university students. A total of
829 first-time entering students from a large business sciences faculty were participants (males = 319, females = 510,
mean age = 19, SD = 0.50 years). They completed the Academic Readiness Questionnaire (Lemmens, 2010) during the
first-year orientation week. Data on academic success, consisting of subject marks and credits were collected in 2009
after a results verification process. Data were analysed with three separate multiple regression analyses. The first
analysis consisted of the overall student sample, the second and third consisted of the black and the white students
separated from the overall student sample. The main findings reveal that high school marks, the number of subjects in
first year (credits registered), goal orientation, race, learning-efficacy, gender and the geographical area of high school
have a direct relationship with academic success. The variables that predict academic success for black students are
high school marks, credits registered, and parental education. The variables that predict academic success for white
students are high school marks, goal orientation, credits registered, learning-efficacy, gender, and parental education.
Description
Keywords
Achievement motivation, Academic success, First-year students, Goal orientation, Readiness for university
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Lemmens, JC, Du Plessis, GI & Maree, DJF 2011, 'Measuring readiness and success at a higher education institution', Journal of Psychology in Africa, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 615–622.