Improving Academic Achievement in First-Year Calculus: Theorizing the Case to Inform Future Interventions

Abstract

This study aims to examine the academic achievement and study behaviours in a mandatory, firstyear calculus course for engineering students. Students responded to identical survey items 12 years apart to determine changes over time. The initial study in 2002 exhibited alarmingly high failure rates, followed by a call to improve achievement. From 2002 to 2014, a range of measures in High School and at the university aimed to improve learning. In this study, exam scores and survey data served to determine relationships between assigned grades and study behaviours. This study brings evidence of results and introduces a theoretical framework to understand findings. While the study draws on a concrete case, the theoretical reasoning aspires to be valid in diverse educational settings.