Patterns of Academic Performances and Conceptions of Learning in On-Time, Delayed, and Dropout University Participants: A Cohort Retrospective Study

By focussing on previous academic performance (AP) and conceptions of learning (COL), the present study aimed to predict different university outcomes (on-time, delayed, and dropout status). A cohort of 194 participants was followed longitudinally. Only 24 participants had obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees on time; 147 obtained their bachelor’s degree on time but had delayed the completion of their master’s degree; 23 had dropped out of the university program. Upper-secondary-school students’ leaving certificate grades were recorded, and their COL were explored through a validated self-report questionnaire. Later, university outcomes were collected. Discriminant analysis showed that the retrospectively delayed and dropout groups were significantly more likely to hold a conception of “Learning as a reduction of deficit knowledge and passive-receptive role” than on-time participants did. Furthermore, upper secondary leaving certificate grades were not significant predictors of the university outcomes considered.