General Point Average as a predictor of student´s performance in Higher Technical and Vocational Education

Abstract

In the current context, which seeks to establish the mechanisms of admission and selection in higher education in Chile, academic measures have been proposed for selection purposes. The objective of this study is to identify if middle school grades (NEM) are related to the academic performance of students in the first year of technical higher education. Bivariate correlations and least squares regression models (OLS) were used, controlling for variables of the individual and the school to establish the impact of the NEM on the results of the subjects of the first year of technical higher education. Student data from a professional institution (IP) of higher education in Chile was used with an enrollment of approximately 101,000 students, which is one of the largest providers of this type of training in Chile. The sample included students who enrolled in 2018. The results indicated that NEM is a variable that has a high correlation with the higher technical education grades and the regression models confirm a positive and significant relationship. However, the magnitude of the coefficients may be indicative that NEM is not a strong predictor of future performance in all technical careers.