Full Length Research Paper

Predictive Validity of Academic entry requirements into Federal Universities in Nigeria

Blessing Ikiroma

Abstract

The study investigated the predictive strength of academic entry requirements on students’ cumulative grade point average in Nigerian Federal Universities. A sample of 2400 graduate students’ results was considered for the study via multistage sampling technique. A researcher-designed Proforma titled “University Students Academic Records Inventory” (USARI) served as the instrument which was face validated by experts in educational measurement and evaluation. Five research questions and five hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The data obtained were analyzed via multiple regressions. The study showed that SSCE, UTME and POST-UTME when taken separately, do not significantly predict students CGPA in the Faculty of Arts/Humanities and Faculty of Education. The study also revealed that SSCE significantly predicts students CGPA in the Faculty of Engineering/Technology when considered alone while, UTME and POST-UTME when taken separately do not significantly predict students CGPA in the Faculty of Engineering/Technology. Furthermore, when SSCE, UTME and POST-UTME are taken separately, it was also found out that SSCE and UTME were not statistically significant predictors of students CGPA at .05 level of probability in the Faculty of Management Sciences while POST-UTME was a statistically significant predictor of students CGPA in the Faculty of Management Sciences. Also, SSCE and UTME when considered separately significantly predict students CGPA in the Faculty of Sciences while the POST-UTME variable does not significantly predict students CGPA in the Faculty of Sciences. It was then recommended that teachers, WAEC, JAMB and Universities as stakeholders should take a deeper look into how examinations is conducted in terms of focus and emphasis vis-à-vis the actual skills and competences the universities do emphasize. Also authorities in charge of the development, administration and conduction of the various examinations should improve on the quality of the items that are used for the testing of the candidates in the various examinations. Finally, the implications of the results and suggestions for further studies were also made.

Key words: Prediction, validity, academic entry requirement, grade points, universities.

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