title: Are math readiness and personality predictive of first-year retention in engineering?
abstract: On the basis of J. G. Borkowski, L. K. Chan, and N. Muthukrishna's model of academic success (2000), the present authors hypothesized that freshman retention in an engineering program would be related to not only basic aptitude but also affective factors. Participants were 129 college freshmen with engineering as their stated major. Aptitude was measured by SAT verbal and math scores, high school grade-point average (GPA), and an assessment of calculus readiness. Affective factors were assessed by the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (FFI; P. I. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 2007), and the Nowicki-Duke Locus of Control (LOC) scale (S. Nowicki & M. Duke, 1974). A binary logistic regression analysis found that calculus readiness and high school GPA were predictive of retention. Scores on the Neuroticism and Openness subscales from the NEO-FFI and LOC were correlated with retention status, but Openness was the only affective factor with a significant unique effect in the binary logistic regression. Results of the study lend modest support to Borkowski's model.
authors.affiliation: East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wuensch
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Urquidi
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kauffmann
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swart
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dixon
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D001076:Aptitude; D002321:Career Choice; D002605:Character; D004738:Engineering / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult