ERIC Number: EJ1020784
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Oct-1
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-5698
EISSN: N/A
The Accuracy of Students' Predictions of Their GCSE Grades
Attwood, Gaynor; Croll, Paul; Fuller, Carol; Last, Kathryn
Educational Studies, v39 n4 p444-454 2013
The paper reports a study that investigated the relationship between students' self-predicted and actual General Certificate of Secondary Education results in order to establish the extent of over-and under-prediction and whether this varies by subject and across genders and socio-economic groupings. It also considered the relationship between actual and predicted attainment and attitudes towards going to university. The sample consisted of 109 young people in two schools being followed up from an earlier study. Just over 50% of predictions were accurate and students were much more likely to over-predict than to under-predict. Most errors of prediction were only one grade out and may reflect examination unreliability as well as student misperceptions. Girls were slightly less likely than boys to over-predict but there were no differences associated with social background. Higher levels of attainment, both actual and predicted, were strongly associated with positive attitudes to university. Differences between predictions and results are likely to reflect examination errors as well as pupil errors. There is no evidence that students from more advantaged social backgrounds over-estimate themselves compared with other students, although boys over-estimate themselves compared with girls.
Descriptors: Accuracy, Prediction, Predictive Validity, Exit Examinations, Self Concept, Questionnaires, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Academic Achievement, Achievement Rating, Gender Differences, Intellectual Disciplines, Academic Aspiration, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Grade 10
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Grade 10
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A