Entrance Qualifications Affect the Performance of Nutrition Students at University: A Pilot Study

Figures & data

Table 1 A summary of entrance qualifications (EQ) and academic performances for three groups of nutrition students

	Grp01	Grp02	Grp03
EQ	357±72 (a)	252±49 (b)	277±88 (b)
Year 1 (%)	78.0±5.9 (a)	64.0±9.8 (b)	72.0±6.5 (c)
Year 2 (%)	74.8±7.0 (a)	58.0±10.4 (b)	65.0±9.1 (c)
Year 3 (%)	—	73.6±5.7 (a)	73.5±8.0 (a)
Year 4 (%)	67.0±4.7 (a)	62.2±5.4 (b)	64.0±4.4 (b)

Note: Academic performances during Year 1 to Year 4 at univeristy is taken as course-work plus examination marks (%). Year 4 performance = final degree mark. Within each row different letters are signficantly different (p < 0.05).

Figure 1 The relations between entrance qualifications (UCAS points) and first year performance (a) or final year degree mark (b). Associations were examined by correlational analysis, the equation of the straight lines and the lines are provided with R² values to high the straight of effects, in these cases Y1 = 0.0451x + 58.12 (R² = 0.162), Y4 = 0.0224x + 57.26 (R² = 0.14). Here Y1 and Y4, etc. refer to academic performances (average percentage marks) in Year 1 and Year 4. For Year 2 and 3 data (graphs not shown) the equations are: Y2 = 0.0551x + 49.65 (R² = 0.165), Y3 = 0.0164x + 68.97 (R² = 0.029).

Table 2 Relations between entrance qualifications (EQ) and accademic performace

Indices	EQ	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
EQ	—	0.343**	0.348**	0.170	0.313**
Year 1	0.343**	—	0.727**	0.216	0.464**
Year 2	0.348**	0.727**	—	0.157	0.583**
Year 3	0.170	0.216	0.157	—	0.380**
Year 4	0.313**	0.464**	0.583**	0.380**	—

Note: Pearsons corelation analysis for combinations of indices, e.g. entrance qualifictions is correlated with Year 1 performance with r = 0.343.

*Shows signficant correlations at 0.05 (two tailed).

**Shows signficant correlations at 0.01.

Table 3 Relations between entrance qualifications (EQ) and academic performace within three nutriton student cohorts

Student cohort		EQ	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Degree
Grp01	EQ	—	0.043	0.070	0.0a	0.242
	Year 1	0.043	—	0.546**	0.0^a	0.523**
	Year 2	0.070	0.546**	ߞ	0.0a	0.395*
	Year 3	0.0^a	0.0^a	0.0^a	0.0^a	0.0^a
	Degree	0.242	0.523**	0.395*		0.0^a
Grp02	EQ		0.193	0.182	0.072	0.262
	Year 1	0.193	—	0.603**	0.376*	0.366
	Year 2	0.182	0.603**	—	0.033	0.603**
	Year 3	0.072	0.376*	0.033	—	0.339
	Degree	0.262	0.366	0.603**	0.339	—
Grp03	EQ	—	−0.050	−0.022	0.211	−0.018
	Year 1	−0.050	—	0.605**	0.171	0.179
	Year 2	−0.022	0.605**	—	0.270	0.438**
	Year 3	0.211	0.171	0.270	—	0.436**
	Degree	−0.018	0.179	0.438**	0.436**	—

^aNo values for Grp01 work-based placement (see text for explanation).

*Shows signficant correlations at 0.05 (two tailed).

**Shows signficant correlations at 0.01.