Indicators of Academic Success in Higher Education: Analysis in Function of Courses Nature

Abstract

Academic success in Higher Education is a multidimensional construct, influenced by different variables in the student trajectory. Thus, we assessed the academic performance (CRE) of incoming Higher Education students, taking personal/social, adaptive, and learning-related variables, differentiating the analysis according to the nature of the courses. In this way, 715 students participated (age: M = 22.10 years, SD = 6.92), from 26 Higher Education courses at a Federal Institute of Paraíba (Brazil), whose data were collected in a documentary form and using an online questionnaire. The results indicate that the set of variables in the study explain 89% of the CRE of bachelor students, 85% of undergraduate students, and 84% of the performance of technological courses, with the following variables: emphasis on family income, option in choosing the course, extra-class contact with teacher and extracurricular activities, absences and discipline approvals versus completed disciplines. Implications of these results are highlighted for future interventions focusing on academic success and course completion.