Individual Differences and Beliefs Concerning Preference for University Assessment Methods

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between personality, IQ, gender, beliefs about intelligence, and preference for assessment methods at university in 3 separate studies. Study 1 (N= 367) examined attitudes toward examinations (ATE) and attitudes toward continuous assessment (ATCA) using specific assignments with regard to subjectively assessed intelligence (SAI), entity and incremental beliefs about intelligence (BAI), just‐world beliefs, and gender. Studies 2 (N= 120) and 3 (N= 93) found significant and negative associations between neuroticism and preference for both essay‐type and oral exams. IQ was positively and significantly related to preference for multiple‐choice exams. Study 3 tested the relationship of preference for assessment methods with academic performance. Results indicated that preferences are associated with individual differences, rather than academic performance. Findings are discussed in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of introducing alternative methods of student assessment at the university level.

Associations Between Defense Styles, Approaches to Learning, and Achievement Among University Students

“…The weak correlations across the variables at the three levels of the model and the low account of variance of defense styles over approaches are in line with previous studies exploring associations between personality and approaches (e.g., Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Furnham et al, 2013) and those indicating low or no correlations between a deep approach and achievement (Richardson et al, 2012;Karagiannopoulou and Milienos, 2013;Lindblom-Ylänne et al, 2018). Besides, studies exploring, by the use of path analysis, the effect of academic emotions on achievement through variables such as engagement (equivalent to a deep approach) or disengagement (equivalent to a surface approach), give low associations among the variables at different levels (Robinson et al, 2017).…”

Associations Between Defense Styles, Approaches to Learning, and Achievement Among University Students

“…The weak correlations across the variables at the three levels of the model and the low account of variance of defense styles over approaches are in line with previous studies exploring associations between personality and approaches (e.g., Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Furnham et al, 2013) and those indicating low or no correlations between a deep approach and achievement (Richardson et al, 2012;Karagiannopoulou and Milienos, 2013;Lindblom-Ylänne et al, 2018). Besides, studies exploring, by the use of path analysis, the effect of academic emotions on achievement through variables such as engagement (equivalent to a deep approach) or disengagement (equivalent to a surface approach), give low associations among the variables at different levels (Robinson et al, 2017).…”

Exploring the impact of cumulative testing on academic performance of undergraduate students in Spain

“…The coefficients on the treatment variable apparently show that the effect of FCT was stronger on females (their grades increased by 10.4 points) than on males (their grades increased by 7.6 points). This difference could be in line with females' higher preference for continuous assessment, which has been found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). However, if the interaction term between the assessment method and students' gender was included in the regression (see column 5), its effect was non-significant.…”

“…For instance, the literature suggests that males perform better in final exams and worse in continuous assessment methods than females (McNabb et al, 2002). This suggestion falls in line with the females' preference for continuous assessment, as found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). Average, which ranges from 50 to 100, represents the students' grade point average (GPA).…”

Are assessment environments gendered? An analysis of the learning responses of male and female students to different assessment environments

“……”

Associations Between Defense Styles, Approaches to Learning, and Achievement Among University Students

“…The weak correlations across the variables at the three levels of the model and the low account of variance of defense styles over approaches are in line with previous studies exploring associations between personality and approaches (e.g., Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Furnham et al, 2013) and those indicating low or no correlations between a deep approach and achievement (Richardson et al, 2012;Karagiannopoulou and Milienos, 2013;Lindblom-Ylänne et al, 2018). Besides, studies exploring, by the use of path analysis, the effect of academic emotions on achievement through variables such as engagement (equivalent to a deep approach) or disengagement (equivalent to a surface approach), give low associations among the variables at different levels (Robinson et al, 2017).…”

Exploring the impact of cumulative testing on academic performance of undergraduate students in Spain

“…The coefficients on the treatment variable apparently show that the effect of FCT was stronger on females (their grades increased by 10.4 points) than on males (their grades increased by 7.6 points). This difference could be in line with females' higher preference for continuous assessment, which has been found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). However, if the interaction term between the assessment method and students' gender was included in the regression (see column 5), its effect was non-significant.…”

“…For instance, the literature suggests that males perform better in final exams and worse in continuous assessment methods than females (McNabb et al, 2002). This suggestion falls in line with the females' preference for continuous assessment, as found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). Average, which ranges from 50 to 100, represents the students' grade point average (GPA).…”

Are assessment environments gendered? An analysis of the learning responses of male and female students to different assessment environments

“……”

Associations Between Defense Styles, Approaches to Learning, and Achievement Among University Students

“…The weak correlations across the variables at the three levels of the model and the low account of variance of defense styles over approaches are in line with previous studies exploring associations between personality and approaches (e.g., Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Furnham et al, 2013) and those indicating low or no correlations between a deep approach and achievement (Richardson et al, 2012;Karagiannopoulou and Milienos, 2013;Lindblom-Ylänne et al, 2018). Besides, studies exploring, by the use of path analysis, the effect of academic emotions on achievement through variables such as engagement (equivalent to a deep approach) or disengagement (equivalent to a surface approach), give low associations among the variables at different levels (Robinson et al, 2017).…”

Exploring the impact of cumulative testing on academic performance of undergraduate students in Spain

“…The coefficients on the treatment variable apparently show that the effect of FCT was stronger on females (their grades increased by 10.4 points) than on males (their grades increased by 7.6 points). This difference could be in line with females' higher preference for continuous assessment, which has been found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). However, if the interaction term between the assessment method and students' gender was included in the regression (see column 5), its effect was non-significant.…”

“…For instance, the literature suggests that males perform better in final exams and worse in continuous assessment methods than females (McNabb et al, 2002). This suggestion falls in line with the females' preference for continuous assessment, as found by other research work (Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005;Cano, 2011). Average, which ranges from 50 to 100, represents the students' grade point average (GPA).…”

Are assessment environments gendered? An analysis of the learning responses of male and female students to different assessment environments

“……”