Beyond Grade Point Average of University Students: Theoretical Foundations for the Achievement as a Process Approach with an Empirical Illustration

Abstract

Psychological research in tertiary education typically follows the achievement as an outcome approach in which the focus is placed on inter-individual differences in the achievement level of students (e.g., semester GPA, cumulative GPA). In this article, the achievement as a process approach is proposed to reconceptualise academic achievement as a developmental story with far reaching consequences. Three principles are articulated to posit that the trajectory of academic achievement differ across students (principle #1) and that such inter-individual differences are consequential (principle #2) and far reaching (principle #3) predictors of long-term success of students (e.g., retention, timely graduation). An empirical illustration is presented and results of growth curve analyses indicate that (a) an achievement shock during the first year, (b) a bounce back effect during the second year, and (c) continuous improvement during the junior and senior years improves our capacity to predict long-term success of university students and outperforms the typical predictors used by universities. This new approach has far reaching consequences for the management, services, policies, and research agenda of people working to promote the success of students. Six broad implications are delineated to steer research and practices in novel, needed, and promising directions across tertiary education and beyond.