Prior knowledge in transitions to university – Matriculation examination results among educational sciences applicants and students in 2007–2020
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Linnanmaa, L2
Topic of the dissertation
Prior knowledge in transitions to university – Matriculation examination results among educational sciences applicants and students in 2007–2020
Doctoral candidate
Master of Education Jenni Korpi
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Learning and learning processes
Subject of study
Educational psychology
Opponent
Professor Vincent Donche, University of Antwerp
Custos
Professor Hanni Muukkonen, University of Oulu
Basic syllabus mathematics, psychology and health education popular among educational sciences applicants
Many individual factors influence educational decision-making among general upper secondary (GUS) education students. Furthermore, societal aspects such as the education system may also guide youths’ educational decision-making.
In this doctoral thesis, educational choices based on the matriculation examination (ME) results in GUS was examined among applicants to and students in faculties of educational sciences at the University of Oulu and nationally at eight Finnish universities. The ME results were examined before and after the university student selection reform that took place in 2020. Before the reform, the main criteria in educational sciences student selection were entrance tests. In 2020, the main criteria were scoring of the ME results in mother tongue, advanced or basic mathematics syllabus, one language, and one test in humanities and natural sciences.
The results show that educational sciences applicants and students had most often taken a test in mother tongue, advanced syllabus English, basic syllabus mathematics, psychology and health education regardless of the different student selection criteria before and after the reform. A test taken in psychology or health education can be interpreted to represent interest in topics covered, for example, in educational sciences. Mother tongue and mathematics are important in student selection since they are known to predict study success in university as was shown in this dissertation also. As expected, accepted educational sciences applicants succeeded on average with higher grades in the ME compared to rejected applicants. High success in advanced or basic syllabus mathematics, mother tongue, psychology and health education predicted greatly enhanced changes for acceptance to educational sciences and study success.
Registry-based data from the Finnish universities and the Matriculation Examination Board was utilised in the three sub-studies. The data sets covered accepted applicants nationally to educational sciences at eight Finnish universities in 2013–2015 and 2020. Also, the data sets covered the University of Oulu accepted and rejected applicants in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 as well as bachelor’s degree students in 2007–2017. The relationship of the ME results and acceptance to and academic achievement in educational sciences were studied with statistical analysis methods.
In this doctoral thesis, educational choices based on the matriculation examination (ME) results in GUS was examined among applicants to and students in faculties of educational sciences at the University of Oulu and nationally at eight Finnish universities. The ME results were examined before and after the university student selection reform that took place in 2020. Before the reform, the main criteria in educational sciences student selection were entrance tests. In 2020, the main criteria were scoring of the ME results in mother tongue, advanced or basic mathematics syllabus, one language, and one test in humanities and natural sciences.
The results show that educational sciences applicants and students had most often taken a test in mother tongue, advanced syllabus English, basic syllabus mathematics, psychology and health education regardless of the different student selection criteria before and after the reform. A test taken in psychology or health education can be interpreted to represent interest in topics covered, for example, in educational sciences. Mother tongue and mathematics are important in student selection since they are known to predict study success in university as was shown in this dissertation also. As expected, accepted educational sciences applicants succeeded on average with higher grades in the ME compared to rejected applicants. High success in advanced or basic syllabus mathematics, mother tongue, psychology and health education predicted greatly enhanced changes for acceptance to educational sciences and study success.
Registry-based data from the Finnish universities and the Matriculation Examination Board was utilised in the three sub-studies. The data sets covered accepted applicants nationally to educational sciences at eight Finnish universities in 2013–2015 and 2020. Also, the data sets covered the University of Oulu accepted and rejected applicants in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 as well as bachelor’s degree students in 2007–2017. The relationship of the ME results and acceptance to and academic achievement in educational sciences were studied with statistical analysis methods.
Last updated: 19.8.2024