Page 192 - Secondary school students’ university readiness and their transition to university Els van Rooij

purpose and asked the student to complete an online questionnaire. Participation was voluntary. Incentives were allotted among participants who had completed the questionnaire. e response rate was 52%.
7.3.4 Analyses
Due to eleven students having missing values on multiple variables, we based our structural equation model tests on 232 rst-year university students. We used Mplus, Version 7, to perform the analyses. First, we inspected the descriptive statistics and correlational matrix to conclude whether certain variables were signi cantly and substantially related to each other. Second, using these results, we decided which variables to include in the rst model, based on the conceptual model with both direct and indirect links from the motivational and behavioural factors to the student success outcomes. ird, we tested this rst model and evaluated its goodness of t based on agreed-upon criteria (e.g., Kline, 2005). Fourth, if the model t was insu cient, we adapted the model, according to the reported modi cation indices and theoretical considerations, a er which we tested the new model.
7.4 Results
7.4.1 Descriptive results
Table 7.2 presents the descriptive statistics of all factors used in the model. e 7 mean scores on all factors, as well as on secondary school and university GPA,
were relatively high and the variances, especially those of academic adjustment
and academic self-e cacy, were quite low. ere were no signi cant di erences
in factor and outcome means between rst-generation students and continuing- generation students. We also did not nd any signi cant di erences between students who came from pre-university, from higher vocational education, and from another university degree programme.
Academic adjustment in university
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