Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges
Abstract
Community colleges are academic institutions with a large number of nontraditional students whose needs must be understood before their academic needs can be fully addressed. Previous research studies have established a positive correlation between academic performance and the personality traits of Conscientiousness and Openness to Experiences, and to a lesser extent the traits of Extraversion and Agreeableness. In contrast, a negative correlation has been demonstrated between the trait of Neuroticism and academic performance. These studies were conducted primarily in four-year institutions, making the generalization of results to community college students inappropriate. The present study explored the predictive relationship between personality traits, GPA, and membership into a traditional and nontraditional student category using a non-experimental regression research design. A stepwise forward logistic regression was conducted with data provided by 163 students attending a major community college in the Southeastern region of the United States. Results indicated the trait of Neuroticism accounts for about 10% of the variability between traditional and nontraditional students, thus serving as a predictor variable. Information regarding how faculty members and staff can utilize study findings, as well as recommendation for future studies, are included.
Recommended Citation
Palmisano, A. C. (2021). The Predictive Relationship Between Personality, GPA, and Membership in Nontraditional Student Populations. Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 24 (1). Retrieved from https://commons.vccs.edu/inquiry/vol24/iss1/3