ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS COURSE IN THE MATHEMATICS PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CARTAGENA

Abstract

Historically, teaching and learning ​​mathematics area has been a difficult but important subject within the academic field. For this reason, it might have been used as a filter to have access to higher education. With the development of new education systems, countries face the challenge to improving math curriculum structure to offer students better opportunities to achieve the learning goals. A good example of this has been remedial mathematics. This study characterizes and analyzes, from a statistical point of view, math major students´ academic performance in their first and second semester at the University of Cartagena. They studied the Differential Calculus under different curricular reforms the Major has had (Presence or absence of a course prior to Differential Calculus). The data were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney-Wicolxon and Kruskal-Wallis-Dunn's tests with Bonferroni adjustments. The results showed that students who took a remedial math course prior to the Differential calculous course got better academic performance than those who did not.