What does implication mean? An exploration of undergraduates’ vocabulary size and academic achievement

The aim of this research was to explore UK undergraduates’ receptive knowledge of vocabulary and how these relate to academic achievement in order to improve educational outcomes for students. An estimate of undergraduate students’ receptive knowledge of vocabulary was measured by administering a vocabulary size test devised by Goulden et al. (1990) to 389 undergraduates in one HE institution.
Correlations between vocabulary size and academic achievement (measured using expected degree classifications) were investigated. Key findings suggest undergraduates have an estimated vocabulary size of around 11,000 words. The study also found statistically significant changes to students’
vocabulary sizes between Stages 1 (Year 1) and 2 (Year 2). It was hypothesised that vocabulary size would play a role in academic achievement as measured by expected degree classifications. However, no correlations between vocabulary size and academic achievement were found at any stage of study. This suggests there may be other factors that contribute to academic success other than general vocabulary and one’s vocabulary size.