The Effects of Socioeconomic Characteristics of Students on Their Academic Achievement in Higher Education

Ekber TOMUL^1, and Gökhan POLAT²

¹Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey

²Gökhan POLAT School of Foreign Languages, University of Suleyman Demirel, Isparta, Turkey

Cite this paper:
Ekber TOMUL and Gökhan POLAT. The Effects of Socioeconomic Characteristics of Students on Their Academic Achievement in Higher Education. American Journal of Educational Research. 2013; 1(10):449-455. doi: 10.12691/education-1-10-7

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the socioeconomic status of higher education students on their academic achievement and the relationship between these determinants. The study is conducted on the 691 undergraduate senior students being trained at the University of Suleyman Demirel who were chosen by their Weighted Quantitative Composite scores in the Student Selection Examination. In the study, student’ Student Selection Examination Weighted Quantitative Composite scores which were taken into account when they were - accepted for their departments and their average grade of the academic scores until their final year are used as the dependent variables. Average grade point of the academic scores is the overall mean scores that the students have until the beginning of the final year in their departments. As for the independent variables, parents’ educational status, family income, the settlement where the family lives, the status of the fathers’ workplace, number of siblings and the educational background of the student before the Student Selection Examination are taken into consideration in the study. Obtained data has been analyzed by using correlation, regression and two-way variable analysis methods. The results of the study indicate that the high school type from which the students have been graduated can be said as an essential predicator for the students’ academic achievement. The variables related to the family are not strong predicators. That education institutions prior to the higher education also accept students with a national exam has increased the homogeneity of the higher education student profile.

Keywords:
academic achievement academic outcomes educational policy socio economic status sociology of education higher education

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