Attah, Tobenna Vincent (2025) GPA as a predictor of safety practices among U.S. College construction interns. PhD thesis, University of Arizona Global Campus, USA.
Abstract
While various factors shape student preparedness for construction safety, understanding whether traditional academic metrics could serve as reliable indicators of safety competency was crucial for educational practice. The purpose of this study was to determine if, or to what extent, undergraduate college grade point average (GPA) predicted a linear composite of safety competencies—specifically, safety awareness (SA), risk perception (RP), and safety monitoring and communication (SMC)—among construction management students. Participants included undergraduate construction majors engaged in project-based learning and internships, who completed validated subscales from the Safety Climate Survey (Atasever et al., 2024). A multivariate multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine whether GPA significantly predicted the combined and individual outcomes of SA, RP, and SMC. The effect of GPA on the linear composite of safety competencies was not statistically significant, as the p-value exceeded .05 for all domains. Post hoc power analysis revealed that a much larger sample size would be required to detect the small observed effects, suggesting limited practical utility for GPA as an indicator of safety competency. The analysis suggested that GPA was not a significant predictor for SA, RP, and SMC, with all effects being minimal. Although GPA did not significantly predict SA, RP, and SMC, the findings suggested that experiential training and performance-based assessments may have offered more valid approaches for evaluating safety readiness. Implications included the need to incorporate authentic, real-world measures of safety competence into construction curricula and the selection process for internships. Future research should examine alternative or complementary indicators beyond academic achievement and consider qualitative inquiry to further explore how students acquire safety skills relevant to industry demands.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Topchyan, Ruzanna |
| Index terms: | monitoring, undergraduate, project-based learning, academic achievement, composite, sample size, competence, grade point average, construction safety, multiple regression analysis, internship, performance-based, safety climate, risk perception, survey |
| Subjects: | environmental hazards, assessment methods, health safety and environment, educational resources, curriculum development, materials science, statistical analysis, environmental health, personnel development, professional development, performance measurement, control systems, learning methods, data collection methods, research design and methodology |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Sustainability, Quality Management, Education, Construction Materials, Information Management, Research Practice, Human Resources, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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