How are IQ scores correlated with academic performance?

Pan Afr Med J. 2020; 36: 129.

Uzoamaka Chinenye Akubuilo,1 Kenechukwu Kosisochukwu Iloh,1,2,& Justus Uchenna Onu,3 Adaeze Chikaodinaka Ayuk,1,2 Agozie Chukwunedum Ubesie,1,2 and Anthony Nnaemeka Ikefuna1,2

Abstract

Introduction

intellectual capacity measured as intelligence quotient [IQ] is one of the determinants of school performance of children. It influences academic achievement, future personal health, social well-being and therefore, is of public health significance. The objective of the study was to determine the intelligence quotient [IQ] and academic performance of primary school children in Enugu-East LGA.

Methods

children who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from both public and private primary schools in the Local Government Area [LGA] using a proportionate multistage sampling technique. Academic performance was classified into high, average and low academic using past records of class assessment. Intelligence quotient was assessed using the Raven´s Standard Progressive Matrices [RSPM] and was grouped into optimal and suboptimal. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data such as-age, gender, socio-economic indices and family size of the study participants. Analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences [IBM-SPSS].

Results

a total of 1,122 pupils aged 6 to 12 years were recruited. Optimal IQ and high academic performance were found in 54.0% and 58.8% of the study participants. Being from upper social class, in private school, and family size less than 4 were the significant determinants of high IQ and good academic performance [p4 children] and improve the socio-economic status of families are needed environmental measures to improve intelligence and academic performance.

Keywords: Academic performance, intelligence quotient, primary, school

Introduction

Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of an individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and to deal effectively with the environment [1]. General intellectual functioning [referred to as intelligence quotient] typically refers to one´s global or overall level of intelligence [2]. Intelligence quotient [IQ] is critical for independent participation in core activities such as education, self-care, and in later life, employment and living independently [3]. Measures of ‘Global IQ’ reflect an individual's overall ‘ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, [and] to overcome obstacles by taking thought’ [4]. Intelligence is affected by both environmental and biologic factors [5]. Intelligence and academic performance are different but interrelated concepts as intelligence is said to be one of the most important cognitive factors responsible for the variations in achievement scores [6].

Intellectual capacity [measured as intelligence quotient or IQ] is said to be one of the determinants of poor school performance of children [5]. Academic achievement influences future personal health and is, therefore, of significant public health concerns [6]. Good education has been linked to better jobs, higher income, and higher socio-economic status; while poor school performance with its attendant risk of school dropout results in future income reductions and thereby perpetuates the inter-generational cycle of poverty. Still, there are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the relationship between IQ and academic performance [7-10]. Several factors such as nutrition, education, socio-economic status, age, gender, school type and family size may affect IQ and academic performance [11, 12]. This study aimed to determine the intelligence quotient and academic performance of primary school children in Enugu-East LGA, the correlation between the two as well as their relationship with socio-demographic variables [age, gender, socio-economic status, family-size and school-type].

Methods

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving school-aged children [6 to 12 years] in Enugu-East local government area of Enugu State. The study was carried out over a 3-month period from November 2017 to February 2018. Children who had attended same school for the three preceding terms, whose parents gave consent and the child assented to participate in the study if seven years and above were recruited into the study. Children who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from both public and private primary schools using a proportionate multistage sampling technique. In the first stage, simple random sampling by balloting was used to select one public and one private school from each political ward. In stage two, based on the total number of estimated pupils in each school, samples were allocated accordingly using the proportionate allocation method. With proportionate allocation method, the sample size of each school was proportionate to the population of the school. In stage three, the allocated sample size for each school was re-allocated proportionately across pupils in the different classes. In stage four, within each class, the pupils to be studied were selected randomly using a computer generated table of random numbers.

In computing the required sample size for the study, we used the findings from Adedeji et al. [13] for the following reasons: first, they studied similar age group using the similar study instruments. Second, both studies were carried out in the same country. Based on their finding of the prevalence of sub-optimal IQ of 62.5%, we computed the required sample size by using this Figure 1 to substitute in the Araoye [14] formula for a population