Breadth of knowledge vs. grades: What best predicts achievement in the first year of health sciences programmes?.
- Author:
Boaz SHULRUF
1
;
Meisong LI
;
Judy MCKIMM
;
Melinda SMITH
Author Information
1. Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. b.shulruf@auckland.ac.nz
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Nursing students;
Pharmacy students;
Students, premedical;
College admission test;
Educational measurement
- MeSH:
Achievement;
Biology;
College Admission Test;
Curriculum;
Educational Measurement;
Health Occupations;
Humans;
New Zealand;
Pharmacy;
Students, Nursing;
Students, Pharmacy;
Students, Premedical
- From:Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions
2012;9(1):7-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
This study aimed to identify those features within secondary school curricula and assessment, particularly science subjects that best predict academic achievement in the first year of three different three-year undergraduate health professional programmes (nursing, pharmacy, and health sciences) at a large New Zealand university. In particular, this study compared the contribution of breadth of knowledge (number of credits acquired) versus grade level (grade point average) and explored the impact of demographic variables on achievement. The findings indicated that grades are the most important factor predicting student success in the first year of university. Although taking biology and physics at secondary school has some impact on university first year achievement, the effect is relatively minor.
