Transition from high school to university: a person-centered approach to academic achievement.
(2017) European Journal of Psychology of Education — Vol. 32, n° 1, p. 39-59 (2017)
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- There is a vast body of studies regarding the variables related to students’ achievement. Yet, only a handful of them have investigated the way these variables combine and interact together. Such an investigation could allow for a precise depiction of the heterogeneity of students enrolling at university and the investigation of the impact of this diversity on academic achievement. The current study focuses on person-centered approach and investigated the possibility of determining significant subgroups of freshmen in the very first week of the academic year in Belgian educational context. Using k-mean clustering, 2,178 freshmen were classified according to their past performance, socioeconomic status, study choice process and academic self-efficacy beliefs at the beginning of the first year at university. Analyses of the variance were also conducted to analyze the relation between these clusters of student and academic achievement outcomes. Six distinct profiles of student were identified representing different combinations of achievement predictors. Results revealed differential odds of succeeding among these profiles. The implications of our approach in the understanding of the heterogeneity of freshmen and the first year achievement process are discussed.
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De Clercq, M., Galand, B., & Frenay, M. (2017). Transition from high school to university: a person-centered approach to academic achievement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 32(1), 39-59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0298-5 (Original work published 2017)