An Examination of Factors that Interact to Shape Academic Outcomes in an Animal Nutrition Course
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i4.3052Keywords:
Animal Science, nutrition, academic success, undergraduate eduaction, instructional support, performance records, agriculture proximity, Demographic analysisAbstract
Academic success in rigorous agricultural science courses like animal nutrition may be influenced by various student factors including demographics, preparedness behaviors, prior academic achievement, and proximity to agriculture. This study examined 1,097 students across four semesters of an animal nutrition course at a large land-grant university to identify predictors of academic performance. Using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses, our study found that prior academic success was the strongest predictor of student performance. Preparedness behaviors and certain demographic variables also demonstrated statistically significant relationships. However, agricultural proximity was the least predictive factor. Our findings highlight the importance of academic preparedness over background exposure and offer insights into improving student support strategies in agricultural education.
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