A Study on the Relationship Between Mathematical Background and Accomplishment in the First College Mathematics at a Middle level Engineering School

중위권 대학 신입생의 수학적 배경과 대학수학 성취도 사이의 관계

  • Choi, Kyung-Mee (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University) ;
  • Jang, In-Sik (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University) ;
  • Chung, Bo-Hyun (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University) ;
  • Jung, Soon-Mo (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University) ;
  • Yang, Woo-Seok (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University) ;
  • Cho, Kyu-Nam (College of Science and Technology, Hongik University)
  • Published : 2007.02.28

Abstract

During the recent years at a middle level Engineering School located at the local areas in Korea, more than 20 percent of freshmen had failed at their first College Mathematics. In consequence, many of them had hard time to survive at their major curriculums. The purpose of this study is to look for the main reasons of their failure and suggest an alternation of the present curriculum. Using the responses to the questionnaires and placement test scores, we studied the characteristics of the students' Mathematical abilities and analyzed how they were related to their grades of the First College Mathematics at the end of the first semester. The mathematical ability of the students at the middle level Engineering School turned out to range from bottom to top even though most of them revealed their interests towards Mathematics. The students with low scores at the placement test were more likely to fail at their first College Mathematics. Thus we suggest that the school should open a new preparation course ahead of the First College Mathematics for those who achieve low scores at the placement test and also professors should write proper books and develop ways of teaching.

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