NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1392497
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-739X
EISSN: EISSN-1464-5211
An Analysis of the Relationship between High-School Pre-Calculus and University Calculus Grades
Barr, Darja; Clifton, Rodney; Renaud, Robert; Wang, Xikui
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, v54 n7 p1229-1256 2023
First-year mathematics instructors at universities across North America and the globe have been noticing a decline in the mathematics skills and preparation of their incoming students, who have been failing out of first-year mathematics courses at alarming rates. Though some universities have implemented placement or diagnostic tests to measure students' preparedness, many still use high school grades as the only indicator of readiness for university mathematics. However, researchers have questioned how effective these high school grades are at predicting success in university mathematics classes due to factors such as mis-aligned teaching methods, curriculum, and grade inflation. This study analyzes the relationship between grade 12 Pre-Calculus grades and first year university Calculus grades at a large Canadian university over the period from 2001-2015 in an attempt to quantify previous research in a large-scale, longitudinal manner. Results show that there is a significant disconnect between these grades, that the disconnect has been growing over time, and that it is is quite significant for students who are not performing well at the Calculus level. Recommendations moving forward include the implementation of placement examination in a wide-scale manner, and increased communication and collaboration between K-12 and university mathematics educators and administrators.
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A