Abstract
BackgroundLearning outcomes may be a result of several factors including the learning environment, students’ predispositions, study efforts, cultural factors and approaches towards studying. This study examined the influence of demographic variables, education-related factors, and approaches to studying on occupational therapy students’ Grade Point Average (GPA).MethodsUndergraduate occupational therapy students (n = 712) from four countries completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). Demographic background, education-related factors, and ASSIST scores were used in a hierarchical linear regression analysis to predict the students’ GPA.ResultsBeing older, female and more time engaged in self-study activities were associated with higher GPA among the students. In addition, five ASSIST subscales predicted higher GPA: higher scores on ‘seeking meaning’, ‘achieving’, and ‘lack of purpose’, and lower scores on ‘time management’ and ‘fear of failure’. The full model accounted for 9.6% of the variance related to the occupational therapy students’ GPA.ConclusionsTo improve academic performance among occupational therapy students, it appears important to increase their personal search for meaning and motivation for achievement, and to reduce their fear of failure. The results should be interpreted with caution due to small effect sizes and a modest amount of variance explained by the regression model, and further research on predictors of academic performance is required.
Highlights
Learning outcomes may be a result of several factors including the learning environment, students’ predispositions, study efforts, cultural factors and approaches towards studying
The majority of the students were in the age group 20–24 years (n = 416, 58.4%) and 86.8% of the sample was under the age of 25
This study showed that higher scores on the ASSIST ‘seeking meaning’ subscale were associated with higher Grade Point Average (GPA) among the students
Summary
Learning outcomes may be a result of several factors including the learning environment, students’ predispositions, study efforts, cultural factors and approaches towards studying. To support students to achieve success in the higher education system, one needs to have an understanding of the factors that influence their learning process – and in turn, their learning outcomes. The presage factors are related to the students’ personal background, in essence, The learning process, in contrast, involves how the students engage with study content. Students engaged with surface learning try to remember factual content and ensure that they go through the preplanned syllabus. This often results in rote learning, as the motivation of surface learners is not to improve their understanding, but rather to avoid failure [9]. Students engaged with the third category, strategic learning, are oriented towards achievement on assessments, and pay much attention to the organizing and management of their study efforts in order to meet this end [8]
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