Determinants of Major Choice and Academic Expectations: Testing a Prediction Model Across Gender.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education Studies

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing students' academic expectations is crucial for effective educational interventions.
• Determinants of Major Choice (DMC) and Academic Expectations (AEs) are key areas of study in higher education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test predictive relationships between determinants of major choice and academic expectations.
• To analyze gender differences in these predictive relationships among university students.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Determinants of Major Choice Scale and Academic Perceptions Questionnaire.
• Employed multivariate regression with latent variables and LISREL for cross-gender invariance testing.
• Sample comprised 1,840 first-year students from Portuguese and Spanish universities.

Main Results:

• The multivariate regression model showed invariance across genders, indicating equivalent predictive relationships.
• Personal Characteristics (PCs) significantly predicted six academic expectation factors.
• Mediating Agents (MAs) significantly predicted five academic expectation factors.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms theoretical links with self-determination theory.
• Personal characteristics and mediating agents are vital for designing academic expectation intervention programs in higher education.
• The findings support a unified approach to understanding these relationships for both male and female students.