STUDENTS’ AGE AND INSTITUTIONAL OWNERSHIP AS MODERATORS OF THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF UNIFIED TERTIARY MATRICULATION (UTME) AND POST UNIFIED TERTIARY MATRICULATION EXAMINATIONS (PUTME)
ABSTRACT
This study sought to investigate students’ age and institutional ownership as moderators of the predictive validity of Unified Tertiary Matriculation (UTME) and Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (PUTME). The study was guided by nine (9) research questions with nine (9) corresponding null hypotheses tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The study adopted a correlational survey design. Population of the study comprised 22,855 first year students of 2009/2010 session in public universities in Anambra and Enugu states. The sample consisted of nine hundred and fifty (950) undergraduate students: 505 young students and 445 old students in which 357 were from federal universities and 593 from state universities using multi-stage sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was the proforma showing 2009/2010 admission session of students JAMB UTME scores, PUTME scores, the age of the students and their 100 level GPA of various public universities (federal and state universities) in Anambra and Enugu States which was got from the admission and examination/record units of the selected universities through the Registrar of the various universities. The data collected was analyzed using regression analysis (simple and multiple). The findings of this study were as follows: UTME scores do not significantly predict students’ GPA in 100 level while PUTME scores significantly predict students’ GPA in 100 level. The combined UTME scores and PUTME scores significantly predict students’ GPA in 100 level. Age of the students does not significantly influence the prediction of students’ 100 level GPA by any of the two matriculation examinations or by the combination of the two matriculation examinations (UTME scores or PUTME scores, and by combined UTME scores and PUTME scores). Also, the prediction of any of the two matriculation examinations (UTME scores or PUTME scores), or rthe combined UTME scores and PUTME scores on 100 level GPA is not influenced by institutional ownership. One of the implications of the findings is that test item and administration of UTME should be improved in a way that the obtained UTME scores should be true score of the students. Based on that, it was recommended that JAMB should modify UTME test items to be aptitude test instead of achievement test.