Honors College Thesis
 

Initial Mathematical Competency as a Determinant of Student Success in Algebra-Based Physics Courses

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/td96k9341

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  • There has been a growing focus within the physics education field on researching the determinants to student success in college physics. Numerous investigations have examined the relationship between initial mathematical competency and student performance in college physics and have found considerable positive correlations. We contribute to this existing research on the relationship between students’ mathematical skills and their success in algebra-based physics by conducting a study with over 400 individuals. It was found that a statistically significant positive correlation, 0.35, exists between students’ performance on the present study’s Math Readiness Assessment and their final course grade in PH 201 at Oregon State University. Within this population, it was also noted that male and female subgroups do not exhibit a statistically significant difference in their respective correlations between math competency and course grade. Additionally, when the population was broken down into racial subgroups, only two of the six subgroups were found to have a statistically significant correlation between performance on the assessment and course grade. These results suggest that (1) initial mathematical competency is a substantial determinant to student success in algebra-based physics but there are other variables that also influence course performance; and (2) the present study’s Math Readiness Assessment possesses predictive power across gender subgroups but is limited across racial self-identifications.
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