Secondary Level Achievement: Non-Intellective Factors Implicated in the Process and Product of Performance

• Published in: Journal of individual differences 2017-04, Vol.38 (2), p.102-112
• Main Authors: McIlroy, David, Palmer-Conn, Sue, Lawler, Bridget, Poole, Karen, Ursavas, Ömer Faruk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Emotional Regulation; Female; Five Factor Personality Model; Human; Male; School Attendance; Self-Efficacy
• ISSN: 1614-0001; 2151-2299
• DOI: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000227

The study was developed in the context of Personality and Social Cognitive Theory with constructs that encapsulate non-intellective processes of academic achievement. The goal was to explore the role of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality in academic performance and to use this model as a reference point to test the incremental validity of two measures of Self-efficacy (Academic and Emotional) and an indicator of Absenteeism. Participants (N = 120) were comprised of 17-year-old male (n = 47) and female (n = 73) opportunistically sampled secondary level college students. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the relationship between the independent variables (FFM, Academic Self-efficacy, Emotional Self-efficacy, and Absenteeism) and the outcome variable, Grade Points Average (GPA). Correlation analysis found that four FFM factors and the two Self-efficacy measures were associated with GPA. In a hierarchical regression analysis, the FFM explained 22% variance on performance and the two Self-efficacy measures added 9% incremental variance followed by 3% for Absenteeism. Overall, the non-intellective constructs explain a substantial 34% variance on achievement and provide focal points for theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical evaluation. Moreover, they are suggestive of the pathways and processes that support learning, augment ability, and enhance achievement.