The predictive value of Grade 12 and university access tests results for success in higher education

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The final school examination is the gateway to higher education (HE) in most countries.Many students are however ill-prepared for HE because of a lack of quality education.Internationally, alternative access programmes are offered to address this problem.SciMathUS is the Science and Mathematics bridging programme at Stellenbosch Universitywith the aim to allow educationally disadvantaged students whose Grade 12 results are belowthe standard entrance scores for admittance to HE, a second chance to improve their scores inMathematics and Physical Sciences and then reapply for HE. SciMathUS follows a hybridProblem-based Learning (PBL) philosophy, encouraging students to take responsibility fortheir own learning.While it is expected that performance in the final school examination correlates withperformance in HE, this is questioned in the case of students who do not have access to goodeducation and, as a result thereof, leave school with poor to low results. With the highdemand for HE internationally, identifying students with the potential to succeed is however ahuge challenge. Alternative measurements have been and are being considered andresearched. The focus of this quantitative research is to determine whether Grade 12 results(Mathematics and Physical Sciences) and Stellenbosch University Access Test (AT) resultscould predict success in HE for students who first attended a bridging programme. Successwas defined quantitatively and measured by the results obtained at the end of their first year inHE. Quantitative techniques were used to analyse the possible relationships between thedifferent variables.The findings were that SciMathUS students managed to improve their Grade 12 Mathematicsand Physical Sciences and AT significantly after attending the bridging programme. Theseresults allowed them to participate in HE. No correlation could, however, be found betweentheir NSC results or the AT results and their performance in HE. In spite of this, more than40% of the students in this group passed their first year in HE with an average of more than50%. Another almost 40% obtained between 30% and 50% and were therefore allowed tocontinue with their studies. In three faculties at Stellenbosch University, the former bridgingprogramme students performed on par with their peers from the same schools who enrolled inHE directly after school.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University