An approach to the profile of university excellent students

Abstract

The aim of this work was to concrete the profile of excellent students at University, in order to specify effective performance models that could be generalized and thought, as much as possible. In order to do it, data from several students groups of 1st year at the Polytechnic University of Valencia were collected. These students got the best marks in the access exam to university in different degrees and their results were compared to those of average student from the same degrees. They were 281 students, 148 of them were excellent students and 133 of them were average students. They were chosen as excellent or average students for their marks in the access exam to the university. They were from 11 degrees and form 9 university centers.Learning strategies, learning approaches, learning styles, attitudes to learning and self-concept of excellent and average students were assessed. The relation of excellence with sex and IQ was also analyzed. Analyses of differences between excellent and average students in these variables was carried out and also a categorical principal components analysis (CATPCA) was performed. The results of both statistical tests were highly coherent and they allow to concrete a profile of excellent students: they manage better strategies than their average partners, they also use a deep approach to learning, associated with a higher academic performance, they prefer reflective ant theoretical learning style, with better attitudes to learning. They have better self-concept and they get better marks. Moreover, this profile is more associated with women than with men.

Keywords

• estudiantes excelentes
• estrategias de aprendizaje
• enfoques de aprendizaje
• actitudes ante el aprendizaje
• estilos de aprendizaje
• auto-concepto
• rendimiento académico