Abstract
M.Ed. (Tertiary and Adult Education)
The purpose of this empirical study which forms part of a
team research project, was to identify personality variables
which may influence the academic achievement of first-year
engineering-students. It was undertaken in the light of the
relatively high failure rate of first-year students and the
negative implications this has for an institute of
higher learning and the students.
The Bureau for University Education aims to establish a
better student selection mechanism.
The test group consisted of first-year engineering-students
who registered at the Rand Afrikaans University during
1989, 1990 and 1991.
This study focused on a single non-cognitive factor,
namely personality, and its influence on academic
achievement.
The 16-PF-Questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument.
student's t-test was utilized to establish significant
differences between the two identified groups. The available
data was processed by means of the BMDP-3S computer
programme.
The findings of this empirical study indicate that
personality cannot be utilised in the prediction of academic
achievement as a single factor, but in combination bined
with other factors it forms an integral part of the
selection mechanism.
The successful engineering-students differed significantly
from the less successful enigeering-students with regard to
the following factors of the 16-PF-Questionnaire:
* Factor G (dutyfullness)
* Factor N (shrewdness)