Exploring the impact of working memory capacity on academic reading and achievement in South African online tertiary students
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The relationships between working memory, academic reading proficiency and academic achievement are well-documented globally, but less so in South Africa. This study addresses this gap by exploring these associations among 136 South African undergraduates from an Online Distance e-Learning institution. Participants completed two open-source web-based working memory tasks to evaluate working memory capacity and the online version of the Test of Academic Literacy Levels to examine their academic reading proficiency, while academic achievement was evaluated using their end-of-year grades. Results showed positive correlations between working memory capacity and academic reading proficiency and with academic achievement . Thus, as working memory capacity increases so do academic reading proficiency and academic scores. With varying implications for higher education, this paper discusses pedagogical changes that lecturers can consider so as to take into account the diverse cognitive profiles of their students.
Source: Figshare
DOI: 10.14749/28649306
Author: Human Sciences Research Council
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: Human Sciences Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W6904838744
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