Learning approaches, demographic factors to predict academic outcomes
International Journal of Educational Management
ISSN: 0951-354X
Article publication date: 13 June 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to predict academic outcome in math and math-related subjects using learning approaches and demographic factors.
Design/methodology/approach
ASSIST was used as the instrumentation to measure learning approaches. The study was conducted in the International University of Vietnam with 616 participants. An exploratory factor analysis, reliability, and correlation tests were performed before multiple regression analyses were carried out using SPSS 20.0. t-Tests to further discover relationships between learning approaches and demographic factors were also conducted.
Findings
Females are more inclined to strategic approach, but not deep or surface by comparison with males. There is no relationship between parental education and learning approaches. Students with math preference in high school have tendency to use deep and strategic approach, but stay away from surface in higher education. Surface approach and admission mark have relationships with academic outcome; but gender, parental education, and math preference in high school do not have.
Research limitations/implications
This model can explain only 15.5 percent of the variation of academic outcome. In addition, it may not be applicable to predict academic outcomes of subjects which are not math related.
Originality/value
Surface approach has negative impact on academic outcome in math or math-related subjects, but the opposite is true for admission mark. Additionally, deep and strategic approach have no relationship with academic outcome.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank Dr Ayse Bilgin for her contribution in questionnaire development; research assistants Nguyen Thi Tuong Vi, Ho Nguyen Kim Ngan, Nguyen Dai Trang for data collection and entry; and especially the International University of Ho Chi Minh City for the grant to conduct this research.
Citation
Nguyen, T.M. (2016), "Learning approaches, demographic factors to predict academic outcomes", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 653-667. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-06-2014-0085
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited