Academic Performance Test Research Articles

Piloting a course: Using a pilot project to identify training needs

Connecticut History Online, a collaboration of The Connecticut Historical Society, The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at The University of Connecticut and Mystic Seaport, has recently completed a pilot project that is helping to define and shape future training for students and teachers. An initial panel of Teacher Advisors helped create the original program for Connecticut History Online. Further input was obtained through meetings with Teacher Advisors, e-mail responses, and statistics regarding the use of the site. This input is being used to plan training workshops and online tutorials to expose teachers to potential uses of primary research material in the classroom and to encourage them to create their own lesson plans. Ongoing feedback from teachers will assure that Connecticut History Online continues to meet their needs in training students to build observation, analysis and critical thinking skills while preparing for the Connecticut Mastery Test and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test.

Desempeño académico de los estudiantes de medicina: ¿Un resultado predecible?

Traditionally, medical schools demand their students a high dedication in time, responsibility and integrity. To assess the predictive capacity of several specific variables, on the academic performance of medical students. All students who entered during 1984-1995 period were studied. The academic performance was assessed using two indices: an overall evaluation of successfulness as determined by the approval rate in different courses and grade-point average obtained during the first three years at the Medical School. The variables used to predict academic performance were year of enrollment, high school grades, university admission test scores, biomedical and demographic characteristics. All these were measured at the time when the student was enrolled. Eight hundred and eight students were studied at the end of the third year. The most important predictive variables selected for both performance indices were: high school grades, admission biology test scores, place were high school studies were done, and previous university studies. In addition verbal and mathematics admission academic performance tests scores were selected for grade-point average index. Although, the overall admission score and high school academic performance were significantly associated with the two outcomes, they were not selected in the final models. The best predictors of an optimal academic performance in these medical students were high school grades, admission biology test scores, residing in Metropolitan Santiago and previous university studies.

A auto-eficácia e os aspectos comportamentais de crianças com dificuldade de aprendizagem

O objetivo da pesquisa é avaliar as relações entre o desempenho acadêmico, o senso de auto-eficácia e os aspectos comportamentais, em 52 criançasde ambos os sexos, na faixa etária de oito anos a onze anos e onze meses, alunos de primeira a quarta série, com nível intelectual pelo menos médio inferior, divididas em: G1-26 crianças com queixa de dificuldade de aprendizagem, encaminhadas a um Ambulatório de Psicologia vinculado a um Hospital Escola; e G2-26 crianças com bom desempenho acadêmico avaliado por teste de Desempenho Escolar. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Roteiro de Avaliação de Auto-eficácia e Escala Comportamental Infantil A2 de Rutter, além do teste de desempenho escolar. Observou-se que as crianças do G1 apresentaram uma avaliação significativamente mais baixa quanto ao senso de auto-eficácia e seus pais caracterizaram-nas com mais dificuldades comportamentais, comparativamente ao G2. O desempenho acadêmico mostrou-se relacionado ao senso de auto-eficácia e a indicadores de dificuldade comportamentais.

Percepção de controle sobre o desempenho acadêmico de crianças em situação de pobreza

de crianças em situação de pobreza. Sessenta e um estudantes de primeira série do Ensino Fundamental, 30 meninos e 31 meninas, com sete a oito anos de idade responderam a uma escala de controle percebido (CAMI - Control, Agency, Means-Ends Interview) que avalia crenças de expectativas de controle, de capacidade e de estratégia com relação ao desempenho acadêmico. O desempenho acadêmico foi avaliado através do TOE (Teste de Desempenho Acadêmico) e dos resultados dos escores aprovado/reprovado no ano letivo. Análises correlacionais demonstraram relação entre controle percebido e desempenho acadêmico. Análises de variância revelaram diferenças na percepção de controle entre os grupos de idade e de gênero.

The Relationship of Cognitive, Personality, and Academic Measures to Anesthesiology Resident Clinical Performance

Cognitive skills (including vigilance), personality factors, and standardized academic test performance may be associated with clinical competence in anesthesiology to varying degrees.Sixty-seven anesthesiology residents in training at one center between 1993 and 1995 were administered the modified Vigil (For Thought, Ltd., Nashua, NH), the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, the California Personality Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and five standardized academic performance tests. The clinical performance of anesthesiology residents was rated on a quarterly basis by a clinical competence committee. A growth curve model indicated that there was significant variability in clinical competence at the start of residency and a statistically significant improvement over time, and that the relative ranking of the residents remained stable over the course of training. Of 46 potential variables, 7 were associated (P < 0.10) with poor clinical performance; these were subjected to a multivariate test (Mantel-Haenszel). Cognitive variables predicting poor clinical performance were difficulty performing a rapid mental arithmetic test requiring divided attention and commission errors during complex visual target detection. Personality variables predicting poor clinical performance were introversion and flexibility. A predictive academic variable was poor anesthesia knowledge as measured by using two different tests during the first month of training. There were varying levels of independence among these variables. Implications: Early academic test performance and certain cognitive and personality tests were associated with the clinical performance of anesthesiology residents. The predictive value of these findings should be confirmed in a prospective, multicenter study. (Anesth Analg 1999;88:1092-1100)

The relationship of cognitive, personality, and academic measures to anesthesiology resident clinical performance.

Cognitive skills (including vigilance), personality factors, and standardized academic test performance may be associated with clinical competence in anesthesiology to varying degrees. Sixty-seven anesthesiology residents in training at one center between 1993 and 1995 were administered the modified Vigil (For Thought, Ltd., Nashua, NH), the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, the California Personality Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and five standardized academic performance tests. The clinical performance of anesthesiology residents was rated on a quarterly basis by a clinical competence committee. A growth curve model indicated that there was significant variability in clinical competence at the start of residency and a statistically significant improvement over time, and that the relative ranking of the residents remained stable over the course of training. Of 46 potential variables, 7 were associated (P < 0.10) with poor clinical performance; these were subjected to a multivariate test (Mantel-Haenszel). Cognitive variables predicting poor clinical performance were difficulty performing a rapid mental arithmetic test requiring divided attention and commission errors during complex visual target detection. Personality variables predicting poor clinical performance were introversion and flexibility. A predictive academic variable was poor anesthesia knowledge as measured by using two different tests during the first month of training. There were varying levels of independence among these variables. Early academic test performance and certain cognitive and personality tests were associated with the clinical performance of anesthesiology residents. The predictive value of these findings should be confirmed in a prospective, multicenter study.

Determinants of school performance in children with chronic asthma.

We have documented performance on standardized academic achievement tests for reading and mathematics in 99 children with moderately severe to severe chronic asthma. Academic performance and intelligence test scores indicated that, overall, the academic capabilities of the children with asthma were average to above average. A stepwise regression analysis was used to examine relationships between the dependent variables of reading and mathematics and the independent variables of socioeconomic status, school attendance, medical factors relating to asthma, age, and emotional and behavioral problems of the children. Factors that were associated significantly with low performance scores were low socioeconomic status, older age, history of continuous oral steroid use (prednisone or methyl prednisolone taken at least every other day for the year prior to evaluation), and presence of emotional and behavioral problems. School absenteeism, use of medical resources, oral steroid dosage, other medications used to treat asthma, and pulmonary functions were not associated with academic performance. Investigation of poor classroom performance of a child with chronic asthma should include investigation of the roles of socioeconomic status, oral steroid therapy, and emotional and behavioral problems.

Beliefs and the subjective meaning of thoughts: Analysis of the role of self-statements in academic test performance

Although research in test anxiety has shown that anxious students emit more negative self-statements than nonanxious students, there is little evidence directly linking negative thoughts to lower test performance. One explanation for this finding is that covert self-statements may function differently depending on an individual's academic competence beliefs. This study was designed to evaluate this formulation first by comparing high and low competence beliefs groups on the frequency of negative thought content during a simulated testing session and for differences in the subjective meaning that they attached to these covert thoughts. Second, the degree to which negative thoughts correlated with test performance and the degree to which non-facilitative subjective meaning responses correlated with test performance were compared. Results indicated that differences in competence beliefs were unrelated to negative thoughts but were significantly related to the types of subjective meaning given thought-listed responses. Comparisons among the cognitive variables showed that only subjective meaning responses were consistently predictive of anagram and math test performance. Results are discussed in light of supplemental analyses and with regard to further research and clinical implications.

Academic Achievement and Intelligence Test Performance in Children with Cancer at Diagnosis and One Year Later

Recent investigations have found significant test-retest decline in certain academic achievement and intelligence test scores in children diagnosed as having acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) before 8 years of age. No such effect was observed in children diagnosed at or later than age 8 years. The current study, using a sample of 77 children with ALL, failed to support these findings. No significant differences were found between groups at test or retest nor were significant declines seen for either group from test to retest 1 year later. Reasons for differences in findings between studies, including methodological and samples size differences, are discussed along with implications for future research in this area.

Identifying talented health administration students: a look at academic criteria.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships of undergraduate academic and admission test performance with graduate academic performance. Results could aid in selecting health service administration students in the future. The sample included 139 students (40 women and 99 men) entering seven health services administration programs during the fall of 1975 and graduating during the spring and summer of 1977. Participating programs were located in the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West Coast. Independent variables included undergraduate academic performance and admission test scores, while the dependent variable was graduate academic performance. Correlation analyses revealed that: (a) the verbal and quantitative subtest scores of the GRE were related to most aspects of graduate academic performance for men but only to selected aspects for women, (b) performance on the MAT was related to women's graduate academic performance in quantitative courses, and (c) men's and women's composite undergraduate grade point average was not related to composite graduate grade point average. These findings suggest that some of the standardized tests presently employed as admission screening devices should be used judiciously.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for students' adaptation to academic major departments and improvement of academic performances

The subjects consisted of 30 college students (21 male and 9 female) with maladaptive self-statements about their academic major departments as well as their university and with academic underachievement. Subjects were randomly assigned one of three experimental conditions: cognitive restructuring, cognitive self-instruction, and no-treatment, balanced with respect to sex, academic majors, and pretest scores of Adaptive Self-Statement Test and academic performance. Cognitive restructuring procedure consisted of variations of Meichenbaum's method of cognitive restructuring. Cognitive self-instruction procedure consisted of cognitive restructuring plus behavioral practice. Adaptive Self-Statement tests and academic performance tests were administered before and after treatment, and at follow-up. The data were analyzed using a 3 × 3 analysis of variance with repeated measures, a correlated t test and Newman-Keuls test. Cognitive restructuring and cognitive self-instruction improved subjects' adaptive self-statements and academic performances after treatment and at follow-up. Cognitive self-instruction was more effective than cognitive restructuring.

A further test of the inverted-U hypothesis relating achievement anxiety and academic test performance.

The assumption that the inverted-U hypothesis, which shows performance as a function of activation level, mediates the relationship between achievement anxiety and academic test performance was tested by comparing Achievement Anxiety Test scores of 75 male and female college students with a self-report measure of activation taken prior to a classroom examination. Results supported the predicted relationship between achievement anxiety reaction type and academic performance (rho less than .05), but only partially supported the inverted-U hypothesis posited to account for this relationship. Results were further interpreted as suggesting that examinees experience two general types of arousal in the testing situationōne type that enhances performance and one that impedes performance. Further implications of the results were discussed.

Education of the deaf as viewed from the rehabilitation perspective

1The statistical data cited in this section are rough estimates. More precise figures have not been ascertained. Exact figures are available for state residential schools, but they enroll only one half of deaf pupils. Furthermore, educational opportunities for deaf students are expanding. Post-secondary programs now number over 20. The 1972 Amendments to the Vocational Rehabilitation Act include a proposal to establish comprehensive regional training centers for deaf adults which would eventually enroll 2,000 students. 2Office of Demographic Studies, Academic Achievement Test Performance of Students in Schools and Classes for the Hearing Impaired: United States, Spring, 1969 (Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College, 1969).

A test of the inverted-U hypothesis relating achievement anxiety and academic test performance.

A test of the inverted-U hypothesis relating achievement anxiety and academic test performance.

The relation between mental health, academic performance and cognitive test scores among chemistry students.

Summary. This study examines the relationship between cognitive test scores, psychological symptoms and academic outcome for undergraduate chemistry students at University College, London, between the years 1956–61. There was some association between a high level of academic success, stress, and a high score of Valentine's reasoning test. Low cognitive test scores and psychological disturbance, however, did not relate to wastage and failure in this group of students.