The causal role of domain-specific prior knowledge on study skills and curriculum outcomes after five academic years

A.M. Minnaert, P.J. Janssen

Entrance selection of freshmen is not customary in Belgium. Due to this fact, failure rates of freshmen are relatively high (De Neve, 1991): 60 percent in Human Sciences, 51 percent in Biomedical Sciences en 49 percent in Exact Sciences. ln higher education outside universities  the outcomes are as 'dramatic'. Apparemly these freshmen didn't appropriately assess their potentialities in starting their career at the higher education level. In order to improve psychological and educational insights into this so-called 'threshold' of the first year in higher education, a structural model of studying to explain individual differences in academic achievement is developed. It was applied in a specific department of a Belgian university.