Measuring Academic Performance at South African Private Higher Education Institutions

Purpose: Public institutions in South Africa dominate higher education, but private higher education institutions are proliferating due to high demand and the inability to provide education to all. This skills gap to deliver education creates a business opportunity for private higher education institutions. As a result, private higher education institutions must develop metrics to measure and manage academic performance. Therefore, this study develops a model to measure scholastic performance at private higher education institutions in South Africa. Methodology: A theoretical model is developed based on proven selected antecedents to measure academic performance. The criteria to measure each respective antecedent are also identified and included in the theoretical model. The antecedents in the model are 1) Economic factors, 2) Parent income level, attitudes and expectations, 3) Selectivity, expenditure and retention, 4) Attendance, 5) Workload, 6) External forces, 7) Stress, 8) Help-seeking, 9) Motivation, 10) Affective factors, 11) Self-concept, 12) Self-esteem, 13) Self-efficacy, 14) Extracurricular activities, 15) Active learning, 16) Adjustment, 17) Class size and 18) General measures of academic performance. A dataset of 206 error-free responses (82.4% effective response rate) validated the 18 antecedents using standardised regression values. The data was reliable (Cronbach alpha = 0.98; decision rule: ≥0.70). Confirmatory factor analysis validated the antecedents and measured model fit. Findings: The model is valid. The fit indices are satisfactory, easily exceeding the required minimum indices. The CFI (0.953) and NFI (0.953) both exceed 0.95. The CMIN/df index (2.516) is well below 5, and RMSEA is acceptable (below 0.1, but not below the ideal value of 0.80). Conclusion: Significant positive relationships exist between individual antecedents and academic performance. As such, private higher education institutions and investors can use the valid model to measure academic performance. Researchers and scholars can also apply or explore academic performance models further.