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An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613988237344768 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kruger, Leandri |
| author2 | Pienaar, Jacques |
| author_browse | Kruger, Leandri Pienaar, Jacques |
| author_facet | Pienaar, Jacques Kruger, Leandri |
| author_sort | Kruger, Leandri |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134665 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:52.743Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134665 An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa Kruger, Leandri Pienaar, Jacques De Wet, Marietha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Academic performance -- South Africa College students -- Psychology -- South Africa Personality and academic achievement -- South Africa Academic achievement -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Kruger, L. 2025.An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/a596f161-6304-4d8c-8b33-f6c7f3c1d3da ENGLISH SUMMARY: The demand for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates and professionals is increasing globally, and this need is even more critical in South Africa, where economic, social, and educational factors influence the availability of skilled workers. Tertiary institutions are at the forefront of addressing this issue but often struggle to attract and retain students in STEM programmes. Since academic performance is a key indicator of success, this study aimed to explore how Jungian personality types may affect academic performance, offering a better understanding of how personality preferences influence success in STEM fields, particularly in the South African context. Specifically, the study focused on examining how academic performance correlates with personality types characterised by the combination of Intuition and Judging (NJ) and Thinking and Judging (TJ) dimensions. A quantitative, quasi-experimental research design was employed, and a convenience sample of 351 students was included. The sample consisted of students enrolled in a first-year STEM-related programme at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The analysis showed no statistically significant correlation between the NJ personality combination and academic performance in STEM within this sample. However, a small but statistically significant correlation was observed for the TJ combination, with this personality type accounting for 1.7% of the variance in academic performance. Additionally, as a supplementary analysis to the study's primary and secondary focus, a statistically significant correlation was found between the TJ personality type combination and academic performance, specifically in the Engineering STEM domain. In fact, the TJ personality type accounted for a variance of 4.8% in academic performance within the Engineering STEM domain. These findings provide valuable insights that can support educational institutions, career guidance initiatives, as well as parents, teachers, and students, in understanding how personality preferences may impact academic performance in STEM fields. Based on the analysis conducted, key findings have been identified, along with corresponding recommendations and limitations. The significance of this study lies in its effort to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of how personality type may influence academic performance in STEM education, while also providing valuable insights to inform future research and contribute to the development of effective strategies in the field. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die behoefte aan gegradueerdes en professionele werkers in Wetenskap, Tegnologie, Ingenieurswese en Wiskunde neem wereldwyd toe, en hierdie behoefte is selfs meer kritiek in Suid-Afrika, waar ekonomiese, sosiale en onderwysfaktore die beskikbaarheid van geskoolde arbeiders beinvloed. Tersiere instellings is voorop in die aanspreek van hierdie kwessie, maar sukkel dikwels om studente in STEM-programme aan te trek en te behou. Aangesien akademiese prestasie 'n sleutel aanduiding van sukses is, het hierdie studie ten doel gehad om te verken hoe persoonlikheidstipes akademiese prestasie kan beinvloed. Hierdie was spesifiek om ‘n beter begrip te bied van hoe persoonlikheidsvoorkeure sukses in STEM-velde beinvloed, veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die studie het spesifiek gefokus op die ondersoek van hoe akademiese prestasie korreleer met persoonlikheidstipes wat geassosieer word met die kombinasie van die Intuisie en Beplanning (NJ) en Denke en Beplanning (TJ) dimensies. 'n Kwantitatiewe, kwasi-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, en het 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef van 351 studente ingesluit. Die steekproef het bestaan uit studente wat ingeskryf is in 'n eerstejaar STEM-verwante program aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch in Suid-Afrika. Die analise het geen statisties beduidende korrelasie tussen die NJ persoonlikheidskombinasie en akademiese prestasie in STEM binne hierdie steekproef getoon nie. 'n Klein, maar statisties beduidende korrelasie is egter waargeneem vir die TJ kombinasie, met hierdie persoonlikheidstipe wat 'n variasie van 1,7% in akademiese prestasie verklaar. Addisioneel, as 'n aanvullende analise tot die studie se primere en sekondere fokus, is 'n statisties beduidende korrelasie gevind tussen die TJ tipe kombinasie en akademiese prestasie, spesifiek in die Ingenieurswese STEM domein. Trouens, die TJ persoonlikheidstipe het 'n variasie van 4,8% in akademiese prestasie binne die Ingenieurswese STEM domein verklaar. Hierdie bevindings bied waardevolle insigte wat opvoedkundige instellings, loopbaanbegeleidingsinisiatiewe, sowel as ouers, onderwysers en studente kan ondersteun om te verstaan hoe persoonlikheidsvoorkeure akademiese prestasie in STEM-velde kan beinvloed. Op grond van die analise wat uitgevoer is, is sleutelbevindinge geidentifiseer, saam met ooreenstemmende aanbevelings en beperkings. Die waarde van hierdie studie le in die poging om bewustheid te verhoog en ons begrip van persoonlikheid in STEM te verdiep. Dit bied ook waardevolle insigte wat toekomstige navorsing kan lei en kan moontlik bydra tot die ontwikkeling van doeltreffende strategiee in die veld. Masters 2025-12-22T12:43:35Z 2025-12-22T12:43:35Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134665 en Stellenbosch University viii, 127 pages ; includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Academic performance -- South Africa College students -- Psychology -- South Africa Personality and academic achievement -- South Africa Academic achievement -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa UCTD Kruger, Leandri An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title | An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title_full | An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title_short | An exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in STEM education among students in South Africa |
| title_sort | exploration of the relationship between personality types and academic performance in stem education among students in south africa |
| topic | Academic performance -- South Africa College students -- Psychology -- South Africa Personality and academic achievement -- South Africa Academic achievement -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134665 |
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