Title: Predictive performance of higher education students: the role of tutor attributes

Authors: Chioma Okoro; Jonathan Tembo

Addresses: Department of Finance and Investment Management, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa ' Department of Finance and Investment Management, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: Pedagogical approaches influence student performance. This study examines the extent to which student performance is impacted by aspects such as tutor work ethic, personality, and content delivery, which are yet to be fully theorised from an educational context. Data was collected from 114 first- and second-year students in the business faculty of a higher education institution in South Africa. An artificial neural network (ANN) was used to complement correlation analysis findings and examine the importance of specific tutor qualities and student experiences on overall student performance. Results showed that self-directed learning actions such as self-planning, self-regulation and self-evaluation were significant predictors of overall student performance. The study provided substantial evidence for improving the tutoring function to enhance students' performance.

Keywords: academic achievement; learning; neural networks; student performance; tertiary institutions; tutoring.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2025.142999

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2025 Vol.37 No.1, pp.16 - 37

Received: 13 Oct 2023
Accepted: 21 Nov 2023
Published online: 02 Dec 2024 *