Abstract
The theory of planned behaviour attempts to explain factors which influence behaviour. One of these factors is intention. Positive or negative intentions are formed by a person’s impression of the way other people would perceive similar behaviour (external forces). The authors of this study used the theory of planned behaviour to examine, compare and interpret the academic performance of students entering a university either via direct intake or via a bridging programme. This study focuses on the UniBridge programme offered by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), which is an intensive one-semester course that prepares students for undergraduate-level study. While direct-intake applicants pass minimum requirements for entry and are able to enrol directly into an undergraduate programme, applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements can join this bridging programme which is designed to be a “second-chance” entry option. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors subjected student performance data of both direct-intake and bridge-programme undergraduates to statistical analyses, carried out interviews and then used the theoretical framework of planned behaviour to pinpoint individual attitudes and social pressures which form an intention to prepare for entry examinations. The results were mostly consistent and showed that the two groups were competitive in terms of undergraduate academic achievement, thus proving the second-chance programme to be effective in enabling students with poor A-Level results to experience academic confidence at university level. On the strength of these findings, the authors conclude their paper with recommendations for tertiary institutions to support lifelong learning initiatives through the use of multiple channels of entry.
Résumé
Admission universitaire de la seconde chance, théorie du comportement planifié et réussite des étudiants – La « théorie du comportement planifié » tente d’expliquer les facteurs qui influencent le comportement. L’un de ces facteurs est l’intention. Des intentions positives ou négatives sont formées par l’impression qu’une personne a de la façon dont d’autres personnes perçoivent un comportement similaire (forces externes). Les auteurs de cette étude ont appliqué la théorie du comportement planifié pour examiner, comparer et interpréter la réussite universitaire d’étudiants, admis soit directement soit à l’issue d’un programme de transition. La présente étude se concentre sur le programme UniBridge proposé par l’université de Brunei Darussalam, qui consiste en un cours intensif d’un semestre pour préparer des bacheliers au premier cycle universitaire. Les candidats admis directement satisfont aux exigences minimales d’admission et peuvent rejoindre immédiatement un programme de licence, tandis que les candidats qui ne répondent pas à ces normes minimales peuvent s’inscrire à ce programme-relais conçu comme option « de la seconde chance ». Au moyen d’une approche à méthodologie mixte, les auteurs ont soumis à une analyse statistique les résultats des étudiants en premier cycle issus des deux groupes; ils ont mené des entretiens puis appliqué le cadre théorique du comportement planifié. Leur but était d’identifier les attitudes individuelles et les pressions sociales qui forment l’intention de se préparer à un examen d’admission. Ces résultats sont en majeure partie homogènes et montrent que les deux groupes sont compétitifs en terme de réussite universitaire de premier cycle. Ils démontrent ainsi l’efficacité du programme de la seconde chance qui permet à des bacheliers aux résultats inférieurs de gagner une assurance au niveau universitaire. Forts de ces constats, les auteurs concluent leur article par des recommandations à l’attention des établissements d’enseignement supérieur de promouvoir les initiatives d’apprentissage tout au long de la vie par l’ouverture de multiples canaux d’admission.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
A tracer study approach follows a sample of students through part or all of their academic trajectory to document and compare their performance in the context of various circumstances.
For children aged 6–15, schooling is not only free but also compulsory (Government of Brunei Darussalam 2011).
References
AITI (Authority for Info-communication Technology Industry) (2010). Brunei Darussalam household ICT survey report 2010. Bandar Seri Begawan: AITI. Retrieved 1 April 2016 from http://www.aiti.gov.bn/downloadables/Downloadables%20Library/Brunei%20Darussalam%20Household%20ICT%20Survey%202010.pdf.
Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckman (Eds.), Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11–39). Heidelberg: Springer.
Ajzen, I. (1988). Attitudes, personality and behavior. Chicago, IL: Dorsey Press.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
Alas, Y., & Anshari, M. (2014). Constructing strategy of online learning in higher education: Transaction cost economy [online paper]. Brunei Darussalam: Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 22 March 2016 from http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1411/1411.4345.pdf.
Anshari, M., & Alas, Y. (2015). Smartphones habits, necessities, and big data challenges. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 26(2), 177–185.
Anshari, M., Alas, Y., Yunus, N., Sabtu, N. I., & Hamid, M. H. (2015). Social customer relationship management and student empowerment in online learning systems. International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 9(2/3), 104–121.
Anshari, M., Alas, Y., & Guan, L. S. (2015). Developing online learning resources: Big data, social networks, and cloud computing to support pervasive knowledge. Education and Information Technologies [online first]. doi:10.1007/s10639-015-9407-3.
Basu, S. (1996). The conceptual difference between incomplete information and asymmetric information: A study of business behaviour in the presence of uncertainty. Macquarie Economics research papers series (Vol. 6/96). Sydney: Department of Economics, Macquarie University.
Bazerman, M. H. (2002). Judgment in managerial decision making (5th ed.). New York: Wiley.
Blumberg, M., & Pringle, C. D. (1982). The missing opportunity in organizational research: Some implications for a theory of work performance. Academy of Management Review, 7(4), 560–569.
Campbell, G., & Prew, M. (2014, 7 January). Behind the matric results: The story of maths and science. Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2015 from http://mg.co.za/article/2014-01-07-behind-the-matric-results-the-story-of-maths-and-science.
Cantwell, R., Archer, J., & Bourke, S. (2001). A comparison of the academic experiences and achievement of university students entering by traditional and non-traditional means. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 26(3), 221–234.
Engelbrecht, J., Harding, A., & Potgieter, M. (2014). Evaluating the success of a Science Academic Development Programme at a research-intensive University. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(3), 287–298.
Eppen, G. D., Gould, F. J., Schmidt, C. P., Moore, J. H., & Weatherford, L. R. (1998). Introductory management science: Decision modeling with spreadsheets (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Government of Brunei Darussalam. (2011). Compulsory Education Act. Laws of Brunei, Chap. 211, S 56/07. Revised edition 2011, B.L.R.O. 7/2011. Bandar Seri Begawan: Government of Brunei Darussalam, Ministry of Education. Retrieved 28 March 2016 from http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/97410/115572/F-85207109/BRN97410.pdf.
Government of Brunei Darussalam. (2012). Wawasan Brunei 2035 [Brunei Vision 2035]. Tenth national development plan (NDP10) 2012–2017. Bandar Seri Begawan: Government of Brunei Darussalam.
Grandon, E. E., & Mykytyn, P. P, Jr. (2004). Theory-based instrumentation to measure the intention to use electronic commerce in small and medium sized businesses. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 44(3), 44–57.
Hoskins, S. L., Newstead, S. E., & Dennis, I. (1997). Degree performance as a function of age, gender, prior qualifications and discipline studied. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 22(3), 317–328.
ICDE (International Council for Open and Distance Education). (2014). Brunei education system. Oslo: ICDE. Retrieved 10 March 2015 from http://www.icde.org/projects/regulatory_frameworks_for_distance_education/country_profiles/brunei/education_system/.
ITU (International Telecommunication Union). (2013). Brunei Darussalam Profile. Retrieved 2 April 2016 from https://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/icteye/CountryProfileReport.aspx?countryID=43.
Ketim, Q., & Olowo, G. M. (2013). Academic performance of direct and pre-NCE entry students in Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo: Implications for educational administrators. Research Journal in Organizational Psychology & Educational Studies, 2(4), 218–223.
Mills, C., Heyworth, J., Rosenwax, L., Carr, S., & Rosenberg, M. (2009). Factors associated with the academic success of first year Health Science students. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 14(2), 205–217.
Ngololo, E. N., & Nielsen, H. N. (2015). A comparison of performance between the former science foundation programme students and the direct entry students. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education, 2(11), 100–107.
Poropat, A. E. (2009). A meta-analysis of the five-factor model of personality and academic performance. Psychological Bulletin, 135(2), 322–338.
Steinhauer, D. (2005). SAPP—Simulation-aided production planning at Flensburger. In V. Bertram (Ed.), Proceedings of the 4th international conference on computer and IT applictions in the maritime industries (CompIT) (pp. 391–398). Retrieved 1 April 2016 from http://data.hiper-conf.info/compit2005_hamburg.pdf.
Toutkoushian, R. K., & Smart, J. C. (2001). Do institutional characteristics affect student gains from college? The Review of Higher Education, 25(1), 39–61.
Toutkoushian, R. K., & Curtis, T. (2005). Effects of socioeconomic factors on public high school outcomes and rankings. The Journal of Educational Research, 98(5), 259–271.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (1960) Convention against discrimination in education, adopted by the General Conference at its eleventh session, Paris, 14 December. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved 28 March 2016 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001833/183342mo.pdf.
UNESCO. (1998). World declaration on higher education for the twenty-first century: Vision and action. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved 10 March 2015 from http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/wche/declaration_eng.htm.
Werner, P. (2004). Reasoned action and planned behavior. Middle range theories: Application to nursing research. In S. J. Peterson & T. S. Bredow (Eds.), Middle range theories: Application to nursing research (pp. 125–147). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Willingham, W. W., Pollack, J. M., & Lewis, C. (2002). Grades and test scores: Accounting for observed differences. Journal of Educational Measurement, 39(1), 1–37.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alas, Y., Anshari, M., Sabtu, N.I. et al. Second-chance university admission, the theory of planned behaviour and student achievement. Int Rev Educ 62, 299–316 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9558-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9558-5