The Influence of Presage and Study Processes on Academic Success of Undergraduate Turkish Students

ABSTRACT: The aim of the research was to make a preformative evaluation on which presage (personal and institutional) factors have the strongest influence on the learning process factors and academic achievement and which learning process factors have the strongest influence on academic achievement of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year Turkish undergraduate students studying in the Faculty of Education in the Eastern Mediterranean University in one of the following programs: Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Turkish Language Teaching, Pre-School Teacher Education, Middle School Mathematics Teacher Education, Social Sciences Teacher Education, Music Teaching, or Elementary School Teacher Education. A survey data collection method was conducted to collect data and the data collected were analyzed by using the path analysis method. A Personal Information Questionnaire, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Locus of Control Scale, Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (measuring the use of the deep and surface approach) and Study Behavior Inventory were administered to 829 undergraduates studying in the years and faculty mentioned above. The deep approach to learning was found to have an indirect effect on academic achievement through the use of the long range tasks. Discovery learning, academic self-efficacy and internal locus of control were found to have a direct effect on the use of the deep approach. Results also showed that the higher the academic year and the higher the students‘ GPA‘s the more likely the student would be academically successful. Some disquieting results showed students with high university entrance scores, in their upper academic years, those enrolled in the Guidance and Psychological Counseling program, and those whose mothers had higher levels of education, tended to use the surface approach. Students spending more time on long range tasks than their counterparts, were found to be less academically successful possibly showing they may be lacking sufficient competence in these skills. Remedial suggestions include policy and curriculum amendments followed by teacher training for the inclusion of effective study skills in the first academic year, and for the instillation of deep approach in teaching and evaluation. Keywords: learning approaches, deep and surface approaches, study behaviors, locus of control, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………