According to Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism, self-efficacy and academic achievement can have a mutual influence over one another. While empirical research generally supports this position, little focus has been given to within- and between-person factors that may moderate this relationship. The present study explored how initial…

Much of formal higher education research on learning experiences has focused on processing strategies and outcomes, however, less attention has been paid to their precursors. This study employed Biggs' 3P model to examine the contributions of learning conceptions (as part of learning patterns (LPs) research; construction of knowledge, intake of…

While student attrition constitutes a major institutional concern at the undergraduate level, this topic is overlooked at the master's level. Dropout rates have been documented, but no solid predictive models are to be found. Likewise, little is known about students' decision to terminate their studies. With growing enrolment numbers in…

This study focused on the transition from upper-secondary school to university. Specifically, it examined whether prior academic achievements and conceptions of learning at the time of completion of upper-secondary school predicted short- and long-term university success (grades at the bachelor's and master's levels). A total of 171 psychology…

Within the context of Pintrich's self-regulated learning model, recent reviews of the literature show that motivational factors are the strongest predictors of academic performance. Even so, gaps remain in terms of which goal orientation constructs area most strongly related to performance, and whether academic self-efficacy is involved in such…

The purpose of the study was to measure graduate students' academic hardiness (GSAH) and academic self-efficacy (GSASE) and to examine the relationships between the two. A total of 202 graduate students across disciplines were recruited to complete two questionnaires (GSAH and GSASE). Results of exploratory factor analyses showed that the GSAH and…

A new college admission policy will be implemented in Taiwan in 2022. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between admission criteria and college success. Data was obtained from the Taiwan Higher Education Database; a sample size of 8443 students from 156 universities was used in this study. By using the structural equation…

This study, using a time-lagged design, investigated whether or not a relationship between the dimensions of resilience and engagement, and the academic performance of first-year university students, existed. Moreover, we investigated whether or not the dimensions of resilience and engagement were different in students who dropped out of their…

Online self-testing as part of the online learning environment (OLE) provides practice questions on key concepts with immediate feedback--in a "no-risk" environment. OLE activity was analysed for 471 on-site and distance students enrolled in health science courses to determine total activity on the OLE and usage of online self-tests. The…

Student engagement is a key predictor of academic performance, persistence and retention in higher education. While many studies have identified how aspects of the college environment influence engagement, fewer have specifically focused on emotional intelligence (EI). In this study, we sought to explore whether EI could predict cognitive and/or…

Successful completion of a university degree is a complex matter. Based on considerations regarding the demands of acquiring a university degree, the aim of this paper was to investigate the utility of complex problem-solving (CPS) skills in the prediction of objective and subjective university success (SUS). The key finding of this study was that…

The introduction of a new standards-based secondary school assessment system, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), necessitated significant changes to the admissions processes for New Zealand universities, particularly for competitive-entry programmes such as medicine, engineering and pharmacy. Selection to such programmes…

Demand for higher education in Australia has doubled since 1989, increasing the number of students from diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. Equity targets have seen a proliferation of programs and interventions aimed at encouraging school students, particularly those from low socio-economic status backgrounds, to participate in…

Students in their first year of university face a number of transition issues that can make realising their academic potential difficult. In the sciences, first-year courses cover a large amount of material across broad subject areas, which can make them troublesome for students without background knowledge, and students need to adapt to typically…

A short version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory administered to 169 college psychology students in early semester revealed that scores for meaning orientation did not predict academic performance in any way, whereas there was a very small negative correlation between reproducing orientation and academic achievement. Internal reliability of…