Predictors for the academic success of first-year physiotherapy students at a South African university.
Sfiso Mabizela, Ronel Roos, Hellen Myezwa and 1 others
PMID 32832710WHAT IT FOUND
Admission test scores in academic literacy and physical sciences predicted first-year success in a physiotherapy programme.
Most students scored below proficient in mathematics, suggesting that support in physics and chemistry may need to be compulsory rather than optional.
Key findings
01National Benchmark Test domains and National Senior Certificate subjects collectively accounted for 43% of the variance in first-year academic success.
02Academic literacy (NBT AL), English, and Physical Sciences were significant predictors of first-year Grade Point Average.
03Most students scored in the intermediate lower band for NBT Mathematics, indicating a need for additional support in physics and chemistry courses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single institution in an urban area, which may limit generalisability to other universities or rural settings. Data for 54 students were removed due to missing values or cleaning issues, reducing the sample for regression analysis to 216. Reasons for student cancellations were not available in the dataset, so the analysis could not explore why some students left the programme voluntarily. The study period included the #FeesMustFall protests, which may have disrupted examinations and influenced failure rates in 2015 and 2016.
Declared interests
The study was approved by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee. No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high school mathematics scores alone guarantee success in physiotherapy. The study found that NBT Mathematics was not a significant predictor of first-year GPA when other factors were considered, and most students scored below proficient in this area. Physical Sciences and Academic Literacy were stronger predictors.