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- Wikström, Christina, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Comparing the incomparable : a predictive validity analysis based on matching methods
- 2008
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In: The impact of testing on people and society.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper evaluates the selection instruments for higher education in Sweden, by comparing how students selected on either grades from upper secondary school (GPA) or an admissions test (the SweSAT) perform in higher education. The study appreciates that evaluating multiple instruments is not without problems, as applicants in different admission groups are not necessarily comparable with respect to personal traits, and different instruments may benefit individuals differently. The study investigates if combining regression models with matching methods will give additional or better information about the different selection instruments, compared to traditional methods in predictive validity studies. The data consists of register data from students born 1972-1974, who have been admitted to a Business Administration or Edconomics programme in a Swedish university between the years 1993 to 1996. The number of credits taken in higher education serve as criterion for academic success. The results from the regression analyses support previous findings in validation studies, showing that the GPA admitted students are more productive in the economics programme than students admitted from the SweSAT group, and even a negative correlation between test scores and number of credits among those admitted. However, the results also show that the SweSAT group are more productive than the GPA group overall, when the total number of university credits serve as criterion.
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| 4. |
- Wikström, Christina, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Grade inflation and school competition : an empirical analysis based on the Swedish upper school grades
- 2005
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In: Economics of Education Review. - Oxford : Pergamon Press. - 0272-7757 .- 1873-7382. ; 24:3, s. 309-322
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores the connection between grade inflation and school competition by studying graduates from the Swedish upper secondary schools in 1997. The final grades are compared to the SweSAT national test scores. Single school municipalities are compared with multiple school municipalities in order to study if potential intra-municipal school competition leads to grade inflation. We also compare independent schools with public schools. It is found that intra-municipal school competition leads to modest levels of grade inflation. Foremost, non-native students fare better being graded in municipalities with potential competition than in single school environments. Independent schools appear to inflate grades heavily. A male student with average previous educational achievement improves his position in the grade distribution by approximately 15% if graded in an independent school.
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- Wikström, Christina, et al.
(author)
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Group differences in student performance in the selection to higher education : tests vs grades
- 2017
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In: Frontiers in Education. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2504-284X. ; 2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Student selection in the Swedish admission to higher education system is based on two fundamentally different performance measures: their criterion-referenced upper secondary grade point average (GPA) and their score on a norm-referenced and multiple-choice admissions test [Swedish admissions test (SweSAT)]. Several student characteristics are known to affect rankings in such assessments. The objectives of this study are to assess main and interactive effects of several variables that influence rankings obtained from these measures in greater detail than previously attempted and assess the findings from a fairness perspective. The data consist of test scores, upper secondary grades, and background information for SweSAT participants aged 19–25 years, who took the test in the autumn of 2011 (N = 23,214) or spring of 2012 (N = 27,075). The data were analyzed through correlation and regression analyses. The results support previous findings that gender, parents’ education, and immigration status are all influential. Males obtain better SweSAT scores than females, while females obtain better GPAs, in accordance with previous findings regarding gender-related variations in rankings provided by similar instruments. Moreover, we found the same pattern in scores for specific components of the test and grades in specific subjects, suggesting that the test and GPA measure different, gender-related, things. In addition, students with an immigrant background seem to be more highly ranked by grades than by the SweSAT, largely due to differences in assessments of their verbal skills.
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- Wikström, Christina, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Merit-Based Admissions in Higher Education
- 2020
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In: Higher Education Admissions Practices. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. - 9781108472265 ; , s. 34-50
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In higher education admissions systems, different principles guide how students are selected when there is competition for study positions or when there is a limit on the number of students that can be admitted. The merit-based approach is very common in which the candidate with the best qualifications, or merits, is accepted. The way merit is defined and measured is, however, a complicated matter and reflects various views on validity and fairness. This chapter describes and discusses principles for the allocation of study positions, focusing on admissions practices where individuals are promoted or selected on the basis of their merits. Applications and challenges of such models, and the consequences for individuals, universities or colleges, and society at large are also discussed.
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- Wikström, Christina, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Prediction of study success : should selection instruments measure cognitive or non-cognitive factors?
- 2009
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In: Assessment for a creative world.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In a number of countries, both high school GPA and admission tests are used in the selection to higher education. The validity research on such instruments has mainly focused on their predictive validity, and the outcome generally shows that the GPA is a better predictor than the test. One explanation is that the grades also measure non-cognitive factors, which are considered important for school performance. Moreover, many admission tests have been criticised for being too alien to what is being taught in schools, hence lacking in relevance for future education. As a consequence, many admission tests are being revised, to be more similar to the school grades in terms of content. A relevant question is if this is the right way to proceed if the main purpose of the test is to predict future study success? This study compares the subtests of a traditional admissions test (the SweSAT) with high school grades in verbal and quantitative subjects in terms of content construct and predictive strength. Success in higher education is measured by the number of credits achieved by students in economics and business administration programmes at Swedish universities. The purpose is to find out if the difference in predictive strength can be related to cognitive or non-cognitive factors. The data is analysed by regression analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings show that there are differences in content as well as construct, but that variations in predictive strength have to do with both cognitive and non-cognitive factors, where quantitative grades and test scores are more similar in construct than verbal grades and test scores, but also better predictors of performance in higher education. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, and some suggestions for future research are made.
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| 8. |
- Wikström, Christina, et al.
(author)
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University entrance selection and age at admission
- 2012
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Reports (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper focuses on the predictive validity of the upper secondary grade point average (GPA), when used as selection instrument to higher education. The purpose of the paper is to find out if the predictive strength of the GPA is affected by time, here measured as the time that has passed between when the grades were received (graduation) and university entrance. The data includes approximately 5 900 students admitted to a Business administration or an Economics programme in a Swedish university between the years 1993 to 1996. The predictive validity is studied by correlating the GPA from upper secondary school for the students from each age group with their academic performance, measured by university credits. The results show that there is a weak positive correlation between grades and university credits, but that the predictive strenght decreases with time, to be insignificant about three years after upper secondary school completion. Implications are discussed.
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| 9. |
- Wikström, Christina, 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Urval till högre utbildning : Påverkas betygens prediktionsvärde av ålder?
- 2012
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Reports (peer-reviewed)abstract
- I Sverige används i huvudsak två urvalsinstrument för att gruppera och rang-ordna sökande till högskolan: betygsmedelvärdet från gymnasieskolan och resultat på högskoleprovet. I den här rapporten studeras hur betygen från gymnasieskolan förutsäger studerandes prestationer i högskolan bland studen-ter som antas vid olika tidpunkter efter avslutad gymnasieutbildning. Syftet är att undersöka om den prediktiva styrkan hos gymnasiebetygen påverkas av tid mellan utbildningen och utbildningsutfall i högre utbildning. Studien omfattar cirka 5 900 studenter som antagits till ett ekonomprogram vid en svensk hög-skola, 1993–1996. Resultatet visar att det finns en svag positiv korrelation mellan gymnasiebetyg och universitetspoäng, men att den prediktiva styrkan minskar med tid mellan avslutad utbildning och utbildningsutfall i högre utbildning. Om det gått tre år eller mer mellan gymnasium och antagning finns inget signifikant samband kvar.
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| 10. |
- Wikström, Magnus, 1963-, et al.
(author)
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Admissions Tests
- 2018
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In: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. - Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications. - 9781506326153 - 9781506326139 ; , s. 48-51
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Admissions tests usually refer to tests designed to find candidates suitable for higher education. Such tests and other forms of entrance examinations can be made mandatory for applicants in a country or region to take or they may be specific to a university or a university program. This entry first discusses the roles and importance of admissions tests, the principles on which they are based, and their history. It then looks at how admissions tests can be characterized and issues in admissions testing. In an admission decision, there are two fundamental roles that a test can fulfill: to identify candidates who have sufficient knowledge to be able to complete an education (eligibility) and to rank the candidates and to make a selection in cases where there are more eligible candidates than there are available slots (selection). A test can be designed to meet either of these two roles, although most admissions tests are used only for selection purposes. Admissions tests can be further categorized with respect to the construct or constructs they are assumed to measure. Standardized aptitude tests measure aptitude in general cognitive skills and are designed to determine a person’s ability to learn. Entrance examinations are generally achievement oriented and focus on what a candidate has learned. Having a fair selection model is of greatest importance in a democratic society. Although modern higher education often can be regarded as education for large parts of the population, universities are still institutions educating those who will hold important positions and influence society. An important question is how the number of slots at these universities should be distributed and what constitutes a fair admissions system, as this is not an easy or uncontroversial question to answer.
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