Delgado Rivera, Ivette

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Withdrawal and non-passing grades in UPRM pre-calculus I: What’s language got to do with it?
(2014) Delgado Rivera, Ivette; Román Pérez, Rosa I.; College of Arts and Sciences - Arts; Irizarry Rodríguez, José M.; Cáceres Duque, Luis F.; Rivera Marrero, Olgamary; Rivera, Rosita; Department of English; Bartolomei Suárez, Sonia M.
The focus of this study is to examine if the English language influences withdrawal or failure rates in Pre-Calculus I at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez. Using data from the Office of Research and Institutional Planning, chi-square tests found a relationships between English grades and grades received in MATE 3171. A questionnaire, using Likert scales, examined student perception of the English learned in high school and its usefulness for understanding course materials in pre-calculus and their college classes at UPRM. The questionnaire was answered by 270 participants enrolled in MATE 3171 during the 2013 spring semester. Of these, forty two first-year students were repeating the course and the data shows that although 57% had studied in bilingual schools, 24% indicated the English they learned was not useful in MATE 3171. The findings suggest further studies should focus on language for the successful completion of non-English courses.