Predictive Validity of First Year GPA and Final Degree Classification among Management and Social Sciences Students

Abstract

Predictive validity of different examinations on a future academic achievement have been carried out in various studies. These include studies that investigated the predictive validity of primary school examinations on future academic performance in post primary schools, predictive value of junior secondary school examination on performance in senior secondary school while still others investigated the predictive ability of senior secondary school examinations on performance at university level. In this study predictive validity of first year GPA and final degree classification amongst management and social science students in Nigerian universities were examined through an ex-post facto research design (a quasi-experimental method). Records of the graduates first year GPA and final Degree classification were obtained from the students' records and analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis which was conducted to examine the strength of relationships. Hypothesis 1 was rejected while Hypothesis 2 was accepted which implies that there was a significant but negative correlation between 1st year GPA and final degree classification among management science graduates, there is no significant difference in the 1st year GPA scores among students in management sciences courses respectively. The result also suggests that students in different courses of study score slightly differently in 1^st year GPA with those in BSc Accounting scoring highest and those in BSc Business Administration scoring lowest. Conclusively, the study recommends that further studies leading to the investigation of relationships between 1^st year GPA and later years in University should be done to explore further the nature of the relationships.