Diversity and student performance in higher education
Written by Jenny Chesters and Louise Watson (University of Canberra)
ABSTRACT
Research indicates that students admitted to university on a basis other than Year 12 are less likely to complete a higher education course than school leavers. This paper analyses administrative data for a cohort of students admitted to first year undergraduate programs in an Australian university, to investigate the academic progression and retention of students from diverse educational backgrounds. The findings indicate that students admitted on the basis of Year 12 completion have a higher mean grade point average (GPA) than all other groups. However, the findings also reveal that after controlling for GPA, students who did not meet the minimum requirements for entry and completed an enabling course on campus prior to commencing their undergraduate program, are less likely to discontinue their university studies than Year 12 completers. This suggests that enabling programs play an important role in supporting students from diverse educational backgrounds to complete a university degree.
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