Predictors of Academic Performance in High School Students: The Longitudinal ASAP Study

Academic performance is influenced by multitude factors. However, little is known about their relative importance and how they evolve over time. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative importance of cognitive control, physical, psychological and sociological factors as well as lifestyle habits in predicting academic performance in high school students using cross sectional and longitudinal approaches. One hundred and eighty-five grade seventh to ninth students (mean age: 13.1 ± 1.0 years old) from a single high school completed a 3-year prospective study. Academic performance, cognitive control, physical, psychological and sociological factors as well as lifestyle habits were assessed every year during the 3-year study. Results showed that different combinations of factors were found to predict academic performance measures in both male and female students at baseline and after a 3-year period. For example, in female students, screen time and VO₂ max were found to be important predictors of academic performance, whereas working memory was the only recurring factor in predicting academic performance in male students. Moreover, our models were able to explain between 6.1 to 52.2% of the variation in the change of the different measures of academic performance. Results of the present study show that academic performance may be predicted by a wide range of multiple factors in high school students. Indeed, the factors that predicted academic performance varied between school subjects, sex and study design, highlighting the complexity of predicting academic performance in high school students.

Gender Differences in Academic Performance of High School Students: The Relationship with Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Muscle Endurance, and Test Anxiety

Background:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle endurance, and test anxiety levels with academic performance in both genders of high school students.

Methods:

A total of 545 grade nine students (mean age: 14.1 ± 0.4 years old) participated in this study. Final grades in language, mathematics, and science and the overall mean average of all courses were used to assess academic performance. Cardiorespiratory fitness levels were estimated using the 20 meter shuttle run test and muscle endurance was measured using push-up and curl-up tests. Participants also completed a questionnaire for the assessment of test anxiety. Independent t-tests, correlations, and linear regression analysis were performed.

Results:

Results show that female students (n = 292) had significantly higher grades in language and science as well as a higher overall mean average than male students (P < 0.001). Moreover, we observed that female students had significant greater correlation coefficient values than male students for cardiorespiratory fitness levels and muscle endurance with academic performance (P < 0.05). Finally, linear regression analysis showed multiple differences between male and female students regarding independent predictors of academic performance (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

Results of the present study indicate that the academic performances of male and female students are different in high school and that these distinct academic performances appear to be explained by different variables.

Relationship between interference control and working memory with academic performance in high school students: The Adolescent Student Academic Performance longitudinal study (ASAP)

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between interference control and working memory with academic performance in both female and male high school students using a longitudinal design.

METHODS

One hundred and eighty-seven grade seventh to ninth students (mean age: 13.1 ± 1.0 years old) from a French-Canadian high school located in Montreal, Canada, completed a 3-year prospective study. Interference control (Flanker task), working memory (N-back task) and academic performance (grades in science, mathematics, language and the overall average) were assessed every year during the 3-year study.

RESULTS

Female students had significantly higher grades than male students for overall average, science and language at year 1 as well as higher grades for overall average and language at year 3 (p < 0.05). However, no differences were found between genders for any measures of interference control or working memory at year 1 and 3. Furthermore, we noted that the relations between cognitive control with our academic performance measures differ according to gender. Finally, our results showed that neither interference control nor working memory seem to be the primary predictor for any of our academic performance measures in both female and male students.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study indicate that cognitive control measures were not able to explain the gender differences in academic performance. Our results also show that interference control and working memory were weakly related to academic performance and that these associations had a poor ability to predict variations in academic performance during a 3-year period.

Lifestyle Habits Predict Academic Performance in High School Students: The Adolescent Student Academic Performance Longitudinal Study (ASAP)

This study aimed to determine if lifestyle habits could predict changes in cognitive control and academic performance in high school students using a longitudinal approach. One hundred and eighty-seven grade seventh to ninth students (mean age: 13.1 ± 1.0 years old) completed a 3-year prospective study. Lifestyle habits, cognitive control, and academic performance were assessed every year during the 3-year study. Results show that in female students, screen time measures were negatively correlated with academic performance and cognitive control. Furthermore, changes (Δs) in sleeping habits were associated with Δs in academic performance in both genders, whereas Δs in eating habits and in studying time were correlated with Δs in academic performance only in male students. Moreover, in female students, screen time, social media use, and eating habits measures seem to predict the variance in the Δs of cognitive control measures (r² between 8.2% and 21.0%), whereas, in male students, studying time, eating, and sleeping habits appear to explain the variance in the Δs of academic performance measures (r² between 5.9% and 24.8%). In conclusion, results of the present study indicate that lifestyle habits were able to predict Δs in cognitive control and academic performance of high school students during a 3-year period.

Relationship between Academic Performance with Physical, Psychosocial, Lifestyle, and Sociodemographic Factors in Female Undergraduate Students

Background:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical, psychosocial, lifestyle and sociodemographic factors with academic performance in female undergraduate students.

Methods:

One hundred undergraduate female students from the Faculty of Science at the University of Quebec at Montreal participated in this study (mean age = 24.4 ± 4.6 years old). All participants provided their university transcript and had to complete at least 45 course credits from their bachelor degree. Body composition (DXA), handgrip strength, estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂ max) (Bruce Protocol) and blood pressure were measured. Participants also completed a questionnaire on their psychosocial, academic motivation, lifestyle and sociodemographic profile.

Results:

Significant correlations were observed between GPA with estimated VO₂ max (r = 0.32), intrinsic motivation toward knowledge (r = 0.23), intrinsic motivation toward accomplishment (r = 0.27) and external regulation (r = -0.30, P = 0.002). In addition, eating breakfast every morning and being an atheist was positively associated with academic performance (P < 0.05). Finally, a stepwise linear regression analysis showed that external regulation, intrinsic motivation toward accomplishment, VO₂ max levels and eating a daily breakfast explained 28.5 % of the variation in the GPA in our cohort.

Conclusions:

Results of the present study indicate that motivational, physical and lifestyle factors appear to be predictors of academic performance in female undergraduate students.