M. Melkonian et E. Ierokipiotis, THE EFFECT OF AGE-POSITION AND SEX ON ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE - A STUDY OF SECONDARY-SCHOOLS IN CYPRUS, Educational research, 39(3), 1997, pp. 355-363
The present study examined one aspect of the 'season of birth' phenome
non, the variations in educational achievement effected by a child's a
ge-position within the class. Sex differences in achievement were also
examined. An analysis based on a sample of nearly 4,000 high school e
xamination results was conducted. The research analysed the Creek lang
uage grade, mathematics grade and the overall 'high school' grade, obt
ained by 17+ year old students who graduated at the end of the 1992/93
and 1993/94 academic years. The presence of an age-position related e
ffect was found, but in contrast to similar research studies the young
est students, in most instances, outperformed the oldest students. Nev
ertheless, this finding is consistent with research studies related to
the age-position effect when framed within the context of the Cypriot
educational policy of promotion by examination. It was found that the
youngest-born pupils in a year group made up the highest percentage o
f repeating, i.e. non-promoted students. However, the findings do sugg
est a need for a re-evaluation of the nature of the age-position effec
t. It was also found that, in general, female students attained signif
icantly higher grades than their male counterparts.