Predictors of academic performance among girls in south Indian cities

Abstract

The last few decades have seen the importance of education increasing in the subcontinent. A steep rise in the emphasis on girls' education is also observed in India. The current education scenario in the country requires students to get very high scores at higher secondary level for admission into reputable colleges and universities. This study intends to understand the predictors of academic performance by gathering opinions from female students. The relative weights of the predictors, namely self-discipline, student interest, study habits, teacher expertise, and family support, were computed based on the responses and presented. This study employed a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique for the same. As the study involved vagueness, the fuzzy version was used. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is the MCDM technique utilized here. Student-participants were from cities, all belonging to the same stream and board of education. The study finds student interest to be a key predictor, followed by self-discipline, teacher expertise, study habits, and family support, respectively. The results imply that studying with interest can influence academic performance to a great extent. This study will be helpful to researchers, academicians, schools, and parents. It is suggested that investigations could be carried out with boys and students in other places and boards of education to throw more light on predictors.