An exploration of education quality in the light of the grade point average and examination attrition rate

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