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Optimalisering van die omskakeling van matrieksimbole vir universiteitstoelatingsvereistes
Abstract
Optimalisation of the conversion of matriculation symbols for university admission purposes
The results demonstrate the potential benefits of taking symbols in individual matriculation subjects into account when predicting university performance. After the internal consistency of the matriculation symbol point totals (MSTs) of three different intakes of first-year students was improved by means of the Elliott-Strenta procedure, this explained a greater percentage (increases of between 0.91% and 3.33%) of the variance of the mean first-year university percentage mark (MPM). For a group of students with the same five matriculation subjects, the incremental gain in criterion variance explained varied between 7.46% and 9.84% when the regression coefficients obtained in a multiple regression were used. Moreover, if the coefficients obtained in this manner were used to weight the matriculation symbol points of subsequent years, the MST-MPM correlations rose similarly. For black students, increases of between 0.94% and 8.48% in explained criterion variance were obtained when the number of standard and lower grade subjects and the number of subjects taken from subject groups D, E and F were also included in a multiple regression equation. The implications of these findings for admissions research, following the introduction of the proposed Further Education and Training Certificate, are pointed out.
(South African Journal of Education: 2003 23 (1): 45-51)
The results demonstrate the potential benefits of taking symbols in individual matriculation subjects into account when predicting university performance. After the internal consistency of the matriculation symbol point totals (MSTs) of three different intakes of first-year students was improved by means of the Elliott-Strenta procedure, this explained a greater percentage (increases of between 0.91% and 3.33%) of the variance of the mean first-year university percentage mark (MPM). For a group of students with the same five matriculation subjects, the incremental gain in criterion variance explained varied between 7.46% and 9.84% when the regression coefficients obtained in a multiple regression were used. Moreover, if the coefficients obtained in this manner were used to weight the matriculation symbol points of subsequent years, the MST-MPM correlations rose similarly. For black students, increases of between 0.94% and 8.48% in explained criterion variance were obtained when the number of standard and lower grade subjects and the number of subjects taken from subject groups D, E and F were also included in a multiple regression equation. The implications of these findings for admissions research, following the introduction of the proposed Further Education and Training Certificate, are pointed out.
(South African Journal of Education: 2003 23 (1): 45-51)
