Predictors of academic success and aspirations in secondary nursing education: A cross-sectional study in Croatia

Background: Academic success of students in nursing education is an issue causing concern in many parts of the world because of the shortage of nurses in the labour market, versatility of the educational programs and status of the students during studies and after graduation.

Objectives: To determine the predictors of academic success and educational aspirations of secondary nursing school students to enrol in higher education programs.

Participants and methods: This cross-sectional study included 312 students (92.6% response rate) from the Health School in Split, Croatia, enrolled in nursing program in 2015/2016. Besides sociodemographic data and grade point average (GPA), we collected data using 9 instruments: performance self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, perseverance, attitudes towards science, self-respect, motivation, dispositional hope, future time perspective, and perceived personal incompetence.

Results: In a linear regression analysis, performance self-efficacy (β = 0.38) and future time orientation (β = 0.19) proved to be significant predictors of current GPA, explaining 20% of the variance. In logistic regression, participants' aspiration to enrol in higher education rather than get employed after secondary school graduation was predicted by higher extrinsic motivation (odds ratio (OR) = 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06 to 1.17) and higher performance self-efficacy (OR = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.62 to 5.77); explaining approximately 26% of the variance in the results.

Conclusion: Performance self-efficacy and future time orientation were the main predictors of academic success of Croatian nursing students at the secondary education level. Higher performance self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation were associated with aspirations to continue university education.