Academic background as predictors of university performance in health sciences.
Abstract
Introduction: Academic performance in first-year health sciences students, considering the school-to-university transition, highlights the relevance of understanding how useful secondary school academic records and learning styles are for anticipating university performance and designing early support interventions. Objective: To analyze the relationship between secondary school academic records, first university examination scores, and learning styles with semester academic performance among students of Nursing, Physical Therapy, Obstetrics, and Medical Technology. Methods: A quantitative study was conducted with 158 first-year students, predominantly female and primarily from private-subsidized mixed educational institutions in the Valparaíso region. Variables recorded included Secondary Education Grades (NEM), first university examination score, semester average grade, and learning styles assessed using the CHAEA questionnaire. Results: Findings from this study indicate that the primary predictor of semester average performance is the score achieved in the first university examination, while CHAEA learning styles are not significantly associated with academic performance. Conclusion: Secondary school academic records have limited predictive capacity for university performance, whereas first semester examination scores emerge as more sensitive early indicators for identifying at-risk students. It is recommended to strengthen initial monitoring systems and academic support programs that consider both early performance and study skills development and adaptation to the university context.
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References
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