Context-Specific Personality Traits and Motivation as Predictors of Undergraduate Academic Performance at National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law

Abstract

It has been noted that there is a gender gap in terms of undergraduate academic performance at National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law. For the past two decades, male students have been outperforming female students. The present study investigates the following hypotheses: (a) male students, compared to female students, at NUS Law have higher levels of personality traits of openness, conscientiousness and disagreeableness; (b) higher levels of openness, conscientiousness and disagreeableness predict better academic performance in NUS Law undergraduate courses; (c) over the years, assessment in NUS Law undergraduate courses has evolved such that many examiners award top marks to answers produced by students who are more comfortable with legal controversies and debates, who are more industrious in engaging with the content and materials, and who have the courage to exercise independence of thought and critical thinking; and because male students at NUS Law have higher levels of these three personality traits (broadly, openness to experience, conscientiousness and disagreeableness respectively in the law school context), this contributes to them outperforming female students. The findings of this study support the first hypothesis but are mixed and inconclusive in respect of the second (and therefore, third) hypothesis. This study is the first to explore the possibility of a relationship between personality traits of a student and his or her academic performance at NUS Law. It also appears to be the first study to rely on a self-reporting cross-sectional survey to explore possible predictors of academic performance among NUS Law undergraduate students.