An analysis of relationship between pre-university Korean language learning and academic performance in university: focusing on Burapha University, Thailand

Abstract

This study examines relationship between prior Korean language learning before university admission and academic performance (GPA) after admission. Data on prior learning and academic performance were collected from 47 freshmen who enrolled at Burapha University in 2024. The average GPA after admission was obtained from the Burapha University Academic Affairs website.

According to findings, freshmen who entered Burapha University in 2024 had studied Korean for about 3-4 years before entering university. Their Korean proficiency ranged from Level 2 in TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) to scores between 40 and 70 in the A-level Korean exam.

Analysis of relationship between prior learning and GPA shows that students who studied Korean at Thai middle and high schools received more stable GPAs compared to those who studied Korean through self-learning. In contrast, GPAs of self-taught students varied widely, ranging from 2.00 to 4.00.

Students who scored Level 1 on the TOPIK generally received GPAs between 3.00 and 3.49, while those who scored Level 2 mostly had GPAs between 3.50 and 3.99. Students who scored in the 40s on the A-level Korean exam generally had GPAs between 2.00 and 3.50, while those who scored 60–70 points received GPAs of 3.50 or higher.

Among the second-year students, the one with the lowest average GPA (GPAX) had studied Korean through self-learning for about one year and had scored in the 40s on the A-level exam. On the other hand, students with a GPA of 4.0 had studied Korean for more than four years before entering university.