The relationship between persistence, academic engagement, and academic achievement among postgraduates students of OUM

• Main Authors: Lee , Nagarajah, Chung , Han Tek, Rahmah Hashim,, Lim, Tick-Meng
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/653/1/relationship_naga.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/653/

Self-managed learning is one of the pillars of lifelong learning. Learners’ stamina to sustain as selfdirected learners is vital for their academic success. This paper examines the association between persistence in studies, academic engagement, and academic performance among postgraduate students in an Open and Distance Learning Institution. The logistic regression was used to model the relationship while the Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) was used to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the predictive model. In this cross-sectional research, a total of 339 students enrolled in various Master’s degree programs at OUM answer a self-administered questionnaire. Academic performance was compared with students’ perceived engagement in academic activities, and persistence in studies. Among the significant predictors of academic performance are classroom behaviour and cognitive emphasis (components of engagement), and academic integration, institutional commitment, academic conscientiousness and degree commitment (components of persistence). Students with favourable ratings on their academic engagement and persistence in studies tend to do better academically. The statistical model predicting these relationships is 83.33% sensitive and 91.04% specific. This paper concludes that by using student engagement and persistence as predictors of academic achievement would enable the academic institutions to identify ‘at risk’ students much earlier compared to using CGPA. (Abstract by authors)