The social, educational and cognitive factors of success in the first year of university: A case study

En ligne sur : http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11159-014-9459-4.pdfInternational audienceThe main objective of this study, which evaluated a sample of first-year students enrolled at the University of Burgundy, France, in 2010-2011, is to understand the factors determining success in the first year of university. The originality of this research lies in the inclusion of specific indicators of students' skills when they start university within the explanatory models of educational achievement. These indicators include measures of academic performance (written comprehension skills) and cognitive abilities. While the impact of cognitive abilities on educational success has been examined at primary level in France, the present study is among the first to do this at higher education level, with the additional consideration of students' educational and social backgrounds. The results show the significant impact of educational background (repeated years, type of baccalaureate and baccalaureate grade) on success. The researchers also found that written comprehension skills and cognitive abilities alone play a limited role in explaining success, since the impacts of these variables are apparent throughout a student's educational career (and not just in higher education). Another finding was that subject choice based on specific career aspirations is an important factor associated with success - a significant insight which qualifies the impact of educational background.The main objective of this study, which evaluated a sample of first-year students enrolled at the University of Burgundy, France, in 2010–2011, is to understand the factors determining success in the first year of university. The originality of this research lies in the inclusion of specific indicators of students' skills when they start university within the explanatory models of educational achievement. These indicators include measures of academic performance (written comprehension skills) and cognitive abilities. While the impact of cognitive abilities on educational success has been examined at primary level in France, the present study is among the first to do this at higher education level, with the additional consideration of students' educational and social backgrounds. The results show the significant impact of educational background (repeated years, type of baccalaureate and baccalaureate grade) on success. The researchers also found that written comprehension skills and cognitive abilities alone play a limited role in explaining success, since the impacts of these variables are apparent throughout a student's educational career (and not just in higher education). Another finding was that subject choice based on specific career aspirations is an important factor associated with success – a significant insight which qualifies the impact of educational background. Résumé : La présente e ´tude, qui e ´value un e ´chantillon d'e ´tudiants inscrits en première année 2010-2011 a ` l'université de Bourgogne (France), a pour objet de cerner les facteurs déterminant la réussite de la première année universitaire. L'originalité de cette recherche réside dans la prise en compte, dans le cadre des modèles explicatifs du niveau d'instruction, d'indicateurs spécifiques sur les compétences que possèdent les nouveaux e ´tudiants. Ces indicateurs comprennent la mesure des performances intellectuelles (compréhension e ´crite) et des capacités cognitives. Si l'impact des capacités cognitives sur la réussite scolaire est examiné en France au niveau primaire, la présente e ´tude est une des premières a ` en faire de même au niveau supérieur, en intégrant en outre le contexte e ´ducatif et social des e ´tudiants. Les résultats révèlent l'impact significatif sur la réussite du contexte e ´ducatif (années de redoublement, type de baccalauréat et note obtenue a ` celui-ci). Les chercheurs constatent en outre que la compréhension e ´crite et les capacités cognitives jouent a ` elles seules un rôle limité dans l'explication de la réussite, puisque l'impact de ces variables est manifeste tout au long du parcours e éducatif (et pas seulement au niveau supérieur). Il apparait par ailleurs que le choix de la discipline fondé sur des aspirations concrètes de carrière est un facteur important de succès, et constitue une découverte importante qui relativise l'impact du contexte éducatif