Personality as an indirect predictor of academic achievement via student course experience and approach to learning

Abstract

How personality traits predict students' course experience, approaches to learning (SAL), and academic achievement were investigated. A path analysis showed that personality traits predicted course experience, which, in turn, predicted SAL and academic achievement. Personality traits accounted for 27% of the variance in teaching quality, and 18% of the variance in appropriate workload. Furthermore, personality traits and course experience accounted for 19% of the variance in deep SAL, 55% of the variance in surface SAL, and 48% of the variance in strategic SAL. The whole model accounted for 13% of the variance in examination grades. It was concluded that individual differences in personality should be taken into account when investigating learning in terms of students' course experience and SAL.