An exploration of education quality in the light of the grade point average and examination attrition rate
Date
2020
Authors
Daka, Harrison
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education
Abstract
: This article reviews literature on the role that educational quality plays on students’ Grade Point
Average (GPA) and Examination Attrition Rates. In this article, educational quality is termed as a situation
where there are quality: learning environments, content, processes and student outcomes. UNICEF (2000)
proposed that where there is educational quality, students’ outcomes may include; high Grade Point Average,
high student retention and low examination attrition rates. According to De Remer (2002) examination
attrition is defined as a student’s departure from the school or possible departure from the entire educational
system while Grade Point Average (GPA) numerically represents a student’s quality of performance
(Hamshire, 2017 and Douglas and Fredendall, 2004). GPAs are often used to determine if a student qualifies
for a certain academic action. The GPA is a world recognised grading system that determines the overall
competence across all subjects (Susan et al., 2011). Though academic reasons for attrition and low students’
GPA have not been exhausted and can be different from one setting to another, Moore and Shurock (2006)
stated that examination attrition rates and low GPA are the major quality outcomes. Increase in examination
attrition rates and low Grade Point Average (GPA) are growing concerns in most institutions of higher
learning (Tyre-Smith, 2010). In higher learning institutions high GPA is a primary goal though Tyre-Smith
(2010) stated that improvements in attaining it seem to be ineffective. Student attrition and low GPA in higher
education has remained a much studied but little understood phenomenon.
Key words: Educational quality, examination attrition, Grade Point Average
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Examination attrition--Zambia