“Candidate strength” and “motivation strength” as a multi-indicator, Comprehensive tool fordescribing the potential of candidates for higher education. Socio-methodological view

Abstract

The text presents a proprietary tool for multi-indicator measurement of two basic categories created for the needs of the research project “Candidates for Toruń archeological studies”: candidate strength and motivation strength. The basis for the analysis are data collected in the process of student recruitment for studies at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in the Online Candidates Registration system (IRK). As part of registering for studies, candidates provide a range of personal information regarding their previous education and also reveal their preferences regarding fields of study. A number of indicators were used to create candidate strength and motivation strength. The operationalization of such forces will allow a better understanding of the recruitment process, as well as its general specifics. The candidate’s strength is a value that describes, based on the data available to us, the intellectual and cultural potential of the candidate. By measuring this value, we get the answer to the question of whether a given candidate has a chance to be a scientifically strong student. The second category – the strength of motivation, answers the question to what extent the candidate was determined to undertake a given field of study. Measuring this value dispels doubts about random choice of field of study and provides answers to questions about possible alternatives. The initial study concerned archeology, but the developed mechanism and method of analysis can be used to build the characteristics of all other fields of academic education.