The Unsuitability of Entry Requirements as Predictors for Success in Architectural Design Courses: A Case Study of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

Abstract

Stakeholders in architectural education have observed a decline in performance in architectural design courses and ascribed this trend to a drop in quality of candidates admitted into the programs being offered. The apparent solution would therefore be to seek to reverse the perceived deterioration in quality of entry candidates for the architecture program. This study, however, sought to investigate the relationship between students’ performance at entry and their performance in architectural design courses. The Department of Architecture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University was used as a case study. The study was aimed at determining whether the quality of performance at entry was sufficient to predict performance subsequently and hence proffer empirical guidance for seeking solutions to the observed problem. Historical design approach was adopted. Data was obtained from departmental records of students. The entry performance statistic used was the scores obtained in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Exam, while that used for performance in design was the aggregate score of results obtained in design courses offered in the program. It was found that differences in entry scores didn’t always translate into corresponding differences in design performance; hence it was flawed to use entry performance as sole basis for predicting performance of students in Design courses. It is recommended that a multi-factorial approach to investigating academic success be adopted for best results and that institutions should construct coherent policies that enable all sections of the institution to collaboratively create the conditions that will aid all students to succeed, irrespective of the attributes or capacities they enrol with.