Student selection into initial teacher education in Finland
Predicting performance on the university entrance exam (Vakava) based on logical reasoning ability
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21577943 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sotiria Varis (0000-0002-7796-2772, University of Jyväskylä, corresponding author), Asko Tolvanen (0000-0001-6430-8897, University of Jyväskylä), Riitta‐leena Metsäpelto (0000-0002-6358-1602, University of Jyväskylä), Anna‐maija Poikkeus (0000-0001-7913-8691, University of Jyväskylä) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 133 |
| Pages | 102745 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Educational Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0883-0355 • E-ISSN: 1873-538X |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ijer.2025.102745 |
| OpenAlex | W4413184318 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This study examines the association between applicants’ success in the 2021 university entrance exam for initial teacher education in Finland, known as the VAKAVA exam, and their logical reasoning abilities to provide evidence of criterion-related validity. The data consists of applicants’ scores on the VAKAVA exam, which reflect their cognitive processing skills, and the abbreviated International Cognitive Ability Resource test (ICAR16; N = 403). The ICAR16 is a short multiple-choice assessment including four scales that estimate the cognitive skills of fluid reasoning and visual-spatial reasoning. The findings supported the proposed four-factor structure of the ICAR16 in the examined sample. However, the second-order factor, which was interpreted to encompass general logical reasoning ability measured by the ICAR16, was used in further statistical analysis. The results indicated that ITE applicants’ logical reasoning abilities accounted for approximately 29% of their performance on the VAKAVA exam. These findings contribute to the literature on the validity of measures for student selection in teacher education programs
Curriculum · Entrance exam · Logical reasoning · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Computer Science · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Educational Assessment and Pedagogy · Psychology · Student Assessment and Feedback · Artificial Intelligence
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| Highly cited | No |
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