The ACT as a predictor of students' academic performance in introductory biology courses

Martha Walker Stratton, Tennessee State University

Abstract

The ACT has been used as an assessment instrument for student admission to many colleges and universities in the United States. The fate of many students depends on their ability to make an acceptable score in order to enroll in college credit courses and avoid remediation. Even though the ACT is not the only criteria for admission to college, it is one of the major factors for acceptance and placement. Data for this study was archival and was obtained from the university database. A sample of 362 students was selected by convenience sampling to participate in this study. The focus was on the relationship between ACT Composite and ACT Science scores and grades earned in Introductory Biology courses in 2000 and 2005 at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) located in the southern part of the United States. In addition, relationship between ethnicity, gender, traditional status, in-state and out-of-state status, and grades earned was also investigated. These variables were investigated using a quantitative, descriptive research model at the .05 level of significance. Correlation analyses, regression analyses, and Analysis or Variance (ANOVA) were used to test the hypotheses. Results revealed that in only a few instances were the hypotheses rejected.

Subject Area

Science education|Curriculum development

Recommended Citation

Martha Walker Stratton, "The ACT as a predictor of students' academic performance in introductory biology courses" (2010). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI3404190.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3404190

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