Personal and institutional factors affecting academic performance in a postgraduate program in education

The present research aims to identify the personal and institutional factors that determine the academic performance Master in Educational Research students, offered by the Faculty of Education of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mexico. The study was developed under the quantitative paradigm. Participants belong to the 2004-2014 cohorts, and were classified as high or low performing students. The information was collected with a structured questionnaire that inquired about: previous knowledge, academic background, team-work skills, program expectations, motivation, self-esteem, psychological well-being, academic-administrative processes and consultant and tutor performance. The analysis of the information included comparative processes, relationship study, and regression and discriminant analyses. The study reported that research experience, study habits, and self-esteem were the most influential factors in the academic performance of students in the program.