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SELECTED FACTORS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS THAT PREDICT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN A COLLEGE PHYSICAL SCIENCE OR GENERAL PHYSICS COURSE
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the predictor variables science anxiety, science attitude, Piagetian development, critical thinking, number of completed college level science courses, college grade point average, ACT natural science score, and ACT composite score, and the criterion variable final course grade for both science and nonscience students. The study involved 111 students from a midwestern state college. The science students were enrolled in a second semester general physics class and the nonscience students were enrolled in a physical science class. The science group and the nonscience group were compared with respect to each of the predictor variables using t tests. The data were graphically analyzed by scatter diagrams to indicate correlation between predictor variables and the criterion variable. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to construct mathematical models to predict final course grade for both science and nonscience groups. The findings from the t tests were that science and nonscience groups do not differ significantly with respect to the predictor variable of science anxiety, but do differ significantly for all other predictor variables. The scatter diagrams show there is low to moderate correlation between the predictor variables of critical thinking, college grade point average, ACT composite score, ACT natural science score, and the number of completed college level science courses and the criterion final course grade but no significant correlation for the other predictor variables. Mathematical models for predicting final course grade were constructed using multiple regression analysis. The models for the science groups included the predictor variables science anxiety, critical thinking, Piagetian development, ACT composite score, and college grade point average. The models for the nonscience groups included the predictor variables science anxiety, number of completed college level science courses, critical thinking, and ACT composite score.
Subject Area
Science education
Recommended Citation
AMSTUTZ, DAVID L, "SELECTED FACTORS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS THAT PREDICT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN A COLLEGE PHYSICAL SCIENCE OR GENERAL PHYSICS COURSE" (1985). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8526584.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8526584