The relationship between performance and year of enrolment at an architecture school, Kumasi, Ghana

Performance can be related to factors such as learning styles, students’ background, tutors years of experience, and number of contact hours. Due to the complexity of the associated factors, it is not an easy task to predict performance. The students of the Department of Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana have the notion that colleagues who are admitted at odd academic years perform better than those at even years. To investigate this assertion, a pilot study was organised to evaluate the assertion. Moreover, results of architectural design studio grades of first year students (859) from the year 2000 to 2012 formed the focus of observation. Mean grades, maximums, minimums, percentage grades and standard scores were calculated. The output results indicated that the assertion of odd enrolment year having a better performance was found to be baseless. However, mean scores of mean maximum studio grades were slightly higher (0.4%) in odd years. Moreover, more students (57%) were found to do better in even enrolment years considering a base grade of 64%. Students in smaller classes performed best and this result was found to be significant. School authorities are to plan for smaller class sizes to maintain good performance at architectural design studios.