Pre-university Measures and University Performance: A Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Alvin Vista,Ghadah S. Alkhadim

doi:10.3389/feduc.2022.723054

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between three pre-university measures (high school grade point average, the General Aptitude Test, and the scholastic achievement admission test) and university performance as indicted by (preparatory year and cumulative university grade point average, and graduation). Data from 330,684 undergraduate students from 23 universities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were analyzed using a multilevel structural equation modeling approach. Results indicated that all pre-university measures were consistent in predicting university performance. These findings supported previous results that pre-university measures performance predict eventual performance at the university, including performance at the preparatory year, and whether the student stays regular and eventually completes university studies. These results have implications for the importance of the pre university measures in predicting university eventual success and graduation and this study adds to the body of work that can inform further cost-benefits of the pre university measures. For policymakers, these findings suggest that strengthening support during secondary school levels can have positive effects on eventual performance at university.

Highlights

In many countries, university admission decisions depend on students’ performance on three measures: high school grade point average (HSGPA), standardized aptitude, and standardized achievement tests (Atkinson, 2001; Geiser and Studley, 2002; Zwick, 2012, 2017)
This study investigated the relationship between three pre-university measures and university performance as indicted by
The ranking analysis showed that the measures of pre-university performance are consistent across universities and indicative of “student quality” in the sense that the best universities tend to attract the best students as measured by these pre-university metrics

Summary

INTRODUCTION

University admission decisions depend on students’ performance on three measures: high school grade point average (HSGPA), standardized aptitude, and standardized achievement tests (Atkinson, 2001; Geiser and Studley, 2002; Zwick, 2012, 2017). According to Koljatic et al (2013), aptitude tests focus on measuring verbal and mathematical abilities not directly tied to the curriculum, whereas achievement tests are based on clear curricular guidelines and measure accomplishment Universities require these two admission standardized tests, as research has shown that students with high scores are most likely to succeed academically (Evans, 2015). This is based on the thought pattern that learning is an accumulative process, and students admitted with higher entry qualifications are expected to be better prepared for university study than those with lower qualifications. The findings showed that students who, in addition to having standardized test scores, had high school GPA reported correspondingly higher retention rates in the second and third years of their universities than students having only HSGPA. The main research questions for this study are: 1. Do universities attract the best students uniformly across the three pre-university measures?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Procedure

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

ETHICS STATEMENT