Identification of Effective Factors on Predicting Student's Academic Progress Based on Educational Data Obtained from Secondary Education and National Entrance Exam

This study aimed at identifying the factors affecting student's academic progress based on educational data obtained from secondary education and national entrance exam. The statistical population of the study was composed of those undergraduate students (tuition-free and tuition-paying systems) who entered Shahid Beheshti University in September 2009 and were graduated in August 2014. The required data were collected from National Organization for Educational Testing and Shahid Beheshti University. Then, the data were analyzed in terms of mean, variance and median as well as T-test, multiple regression, logistic regression and one-way variance analysis using the SPSS statistical software (Version 22). The results showed that there was a direct relationship between graduate students’ GPA of Diploma, field of study in secondary education, GPA of the pre-university degree and mean score of specialized courses in the University Entrance Exam and their academic progress. However, there was no significant correlation between the type of academic system (tuition-free and tuition-paying systems), the GPA of pre-university degree, quotas of graduate students and the GPA of their B.A. degree. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between gender and GPA of B.A. degree. Besides, there was a significant correlation between GPA of Diploma and GPA of their B.A. degree. In general, the findings of the present study indicated that successful students in secondary education would typically succeed in academic education as well.