Academic Achievement and Formal Thought in Engineering Students

Autor/inn/en	Vazquez, Stella Maris; de Anglat, Hilda Difabio
Titel	Academic Achievement and Formal Thought in Engineering Students
Quelle	In: Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 7 (2009) 2, S.653-672 (20 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1696-2095
Schlagwörter	Academic Achievement; Achievement Tests; Chemistry; Logical Thinking; Abstract Reasoning; Thinking Skills; Engineering Education; Calculus; Foreign Countries; College Students; Dropouts; Physics; Grades (Scholastic); Algebra; Intervention; Correlation; Skill Development; Argentina + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulleistung; Achievement test; Achievement; Testing; Test; Tests; Leistungsbeurteilung; Leistungsüberprüfung; Leistung; Testdurchführung; Testen; Chemie; Abstraktes Denken; Denken; Denkfähigkeit; Ingenieurausbildung; Analysis; Differenzialrechnung; Infinitesimalrechnung; Integralrechnung; Ausland; Collegestudent; Drop-out; Drop-outs; Dropout; Early leavers; Schulversagen; Physik; Notenspiegel; Korrelation; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Argentinien
Abstract	Introduction: Research on university-level academic performance has significantly linked failure and dropping out to formal reasoning deficiency. We have not found any papers on formal thought in Argentine university students, in spite of the obvious shortcomings observed in the classrooms. Thus, the main objective of this paper was exploring the relation between formal operational thought level and academic performance in the 1st year of the engineering course. Method: The study was carried out on a sample of 709 first year engineering students from two cohorts of students attending one of four engineering courses during 2006 and 2007 at an Argentine university. Assessment was taken using Tobin and Capie's (1981) Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). Data about demographic characteristics and achievement test scores was also collected. Results: Significant relations were observed between formal thought level and student marks in entrance exams, in the partial algebra, calculus, physics and chemistry exams and in the final chemistry exam. Conclusion: This research may be useful as a guide for diagnosis and intervention design, since they point to probabilistic and correlational reasoning as the most difficult skills to develop. As the results tend to converge with those of research carried out in other countries, it seems also that the TOLT may be useful in transcultural exploration. (Contains 11 tables, 2 figures and 1 footnote.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	University of Almeria, Education & Psychology I+D+i. Faculty of Psychology Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 LaCanada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain. Tel: +34-950-015354; Fax: +34-950-015083; Web site: http://www.investigacion-psicopedagogica.org/revista/new/english/index.php
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10