Who gets the best grades at top universities An e

Authors: HyeJung Lee Jihyun Lee

Publish Date: 2012/09/18

Volume: 13, Issue: 4, Pages: 665-676

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Abstract

This study explores what makes high achievement at a top university in order to gain insights into college learning For this purpose institutionwide indepth interviews were conducted with the 45 highest achievers GPA of 40/43 or higher at a top Korean university and the interview data were primarily analyzed qualitatively to investigate indepth determinants The results revealed that these highest achievers share the following specific cognitive motivational and selfregulation strategies 1 they recorded all of the information provided in class 2 used a motivational regulation strategy rather than motivation itself and 3 were highly managerial in their cognition emotions physical condition time management and interpersonal relationships These findings were verified by quantitative data obtained from online surveys of 1111 students at the university Critical implications and suggestions such as institutional support evaluation criteria cultural differences and other related issues were discussedThe determinants of academic success in higher education have preoccupied both college students and researchers for decades Although it may be uncomfortable to admit it is difficult to deny that receiving good grades is one of the primary concerns of college students especially in competitive Asian cultures such as Korea This practical attention is in the same vein as numerous theoretical endeavors discovering varied predictors of high academic performance at college Robbins et al 2004However despite the fact that college students have already studied in K12 many continue to have difficulty in studying and getting high grades in practice Reports have shown that many college students struggle with writing reports completing group projects preparing for presentations and creating study materials Garner 1990 Justice and Dornan 2001 Peverly and Brobst 2003 Sol 2007 College students who excel in their SATs Scholastic Ability Tests are no exception to this phenomenon and they experience the similar difficulties as their counterparts in low or middletier universities Lee and Choi 2010 Robbins et al 2004 The increasing number of learning centers even in toptier universities could be seen as evidencing this situationAware of students’ difficulties more and more universities are providing learning centers to support students’ learning Learning centers at Korean universities for example have dramatically increased over the last 10 years since these centers became part of the compulsory criteria for college evaluations Learning centers are trying to reflect related research results on various components affecting high academic performance at college However many learning centers mostly provide general study skills or selfmanagement skills with marginal effects and do not offer specific detailed strategies that could be helpful in practice Lee and Choi 2010 Yeom and Jeong 2010Studies on academic success in higher education suggest various predictors Robbins et al’s 2004 metaanalysis on the predictors of college outcome synthesizes related research undertaken over 10 years and suggests nine constructs1 Among the psychological and study skill factors achievement motivation and academic selfefficacy turned out to be best predictors A broader approach is McKenzie and Schweitzer’s 2001 factor classification Based on the Australian case they provided three kinds of predictors academic predictor psychosocial predictor and cognitive appraisal2 A line of studies pursue personal and family background as a main predictor see Kang 2010 Kim et al 2001 and some classified the factors into input factors such as students’ attributes and process factors such as institutional supports Shin et al 2008The numerous studies that deal both directly and indirectly with high performance at college cover varied predictors from multiple perspectives Among those predictors focusing on major factors that can provide implications for institutional intervention would identify a certain groups of factors Firstly studies suggest diverse learning strategies commonly called study skills which refer to strategies that facilitate effective and efficient knowledge integration and retrieval to achieve a certain learning goal Weistein 1987 Those skills range from behavioral strategies such as test preparation lecture participation notetaking and questioning Byeon and Kang 2001 to cognitive psychological strategies such as rehearsal/repetition summarization Wittrock and Alessandrini 1990 organization elaboration Weinstein and Mayer 1986 and highlighting Wade and Trathen 1989Secondly studies have reported strong correlations between college students’ academic achievement and their selfregulation skills McCombs and Marzano 1990 Paris and Newman 1990 Pressley and Ghatala 1990 With these skills students monitor and control their cognition motivation and behaviors to attain selfestablished goals and efficiently plan or allocate time and energy Cao and Nietfeld 2007 Zimmerman 1989 1990 Studies suggest that other competencies related to selfregulation such as attendance Donathan 2003 Druger 2003 Kim 2005 learning hours Kim et al 2001 Tak et al 2006 preparation Cao and Nietfeld 2007 restructuring physical environments Weistein 1987 Zimmerman and MartinesPons 1990 seeking academic help Ames and Lau 1982 Karabenick and Knapp 1991 and seating in lecture halls Brooks and Rogers 1981 Daly and Suite 1981 Kim 2005 Holliman and Anderson 1986 Woolfolk and Brooks 1983Lastly a further group of studies focuses on psychosocial perspectives such as academic selfefficacy regulation of motivation and satisfaction Academic selfefficacy is the judgment of one’s ability to organize and implement the actions needed to complete assignments Students who have high academic selfefficacy choose challenging tasks Bandura and Schunk 1991 put more effort into successfully fulfilling tasks Schunk 1983 and persist at tasks despite difficulties Bandura and Schunk 1991 A recent approach to student motivation focuses on the regulation of motivation Wolters 2003 2010 Wolters et al 2005 In contrast to motivation itself motivation regulation is “a deliberate or purposeful attempt to influence students’ level of motivation or the processes that determine their motivation” as well as specific strategies such as the regulation of value selfconsequating environmental strategies and interest enhancement Wolters 2003 p 200 Studies have also shown that satisfaction has a significant impact on college students’ academic achievement Kim 2005 Kim et al 2002 Shin et al 2008

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