By: Dr. Peter J. Kpolovie
Longitudinal research on the relationship between intelligence and academic performance offers valuable insights into how cognitive variables impact learning over time. This study, conducted over four years with Nigerian students, specifically explores the correlation between Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and academic performance in Mathematics and English, using the Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) as an IQ measure (Kpolovie, 2015).
The analysis focuses on how intelligence, defined as the general mental ability to learn quickly, solve novel problems, infer relationships, and process information accurately, directly influences academic outcomes. The methodology adopted, a longitudinal time-series design, is particularly effective in capturing changes and stability in the intellectual and academic characteristics of the same individuals over time (Kpolovie, 2016).
The results demonstrate a significant correlation between IQ and academic performance in both Mathematics and English, even when controlling for the influence of one subject on the other. Specifically, IQ explained considerable variance in academic performance, with partial coefficients of determination ranging from 11.97% to 24.90% (Kpolovie, 2016). This finding suggests that general intelligence, or g, as proposed by Spearman (1904), is a robust predictor of academic success, corroborating previous research showing a strong association between g and performance on several cognitive tasks (Plomin & Spinath, 2004).
Additionally, the stability of IQ over the years was confirmed, indicating that intelligence as measured by CFIT is relatively constant after adolescence, in line with Cattell’s theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence (Cattell, 1987). This stability is crucial to understanding how IQ can consistently predict educational performance over time.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the importance of considering intelligence in educational policymaking, especially in contexts where academic performance is an indicator of future success. Incorporating intelligence testing into the Nigerian education system could provide a basis for tailored interventions that meet the specific needs of students with different IQ levels. Future research could explore how specific educational interventions modulate the relationship between IQ and academic performance, as well as investigate additional variables that may influence this dynamic.
References:
Cattell, RB (1987). Intelligence: Its structure, growth, and action. New York: Elsevier.
Kpolovie, PJ (2015). Indispensability of intelligence testing in the repositioning and revitalization of Nigerian education. Global Academic Journal.
Kpolovie, P. J. (2016). Excellent research methods. Indiana, USA: Partridge Publishing.
Plomin, R., & Spinath, F. M. (2004). Intelligence, genetics, and genomics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(1), 112-129.
Spearman, C. (1904). General intelligence, objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology, 15, 201-292.
