Acompanha: Manual didático para aplicação de testes estatísticos na análise do desempenho de alunos em disciplinas da graduação / Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar variáveis a fim de entender se elas são significativas para a reprovação dos alunos ingressantes nos cursos de Engenharia na disciplina de Cálculo Diferencial e Integral I. Para tanto, adotou-se como hipótese básica que o comprometimento acadêmico é um dos fatores que interfere de forma expressiva neste contexto. O referencial teórico faz um breve apanhado sobre a origem e evolução dos cursos de Engenharia, sobre a importância do Cálculo, bem como sobre as reprovações e possíveis agravantes. Além disso, aborda as principais variáveis associadas à reprovação em Cálculo I apontadas na literatura existente. Trata-se de uma pesquisa com abordagem mista, sendo que as hipóteses secundárias buscavam confirmar ou descartar a influência de seis variáveis - nota obtida pelos estudantes na prova de Matemática do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), pesos atribuídos às provas de Matemática do ENEM, período de ingresso no curso, carga horária semanal de aulas, conhecimento matemático prévio e metodologia de avaliação diferenciada - no desempenho obtido pelos calouros na disciplina em questão. Para tanto, estudou-se o desempenho de 3.010 alunos da UTFPR, pertencentes aos campi Pato Branco e Ponta Grossa, que ingressaram na instituição de 2010 a 2014. Os dados referentes às variáveis quantitativas foram coletados por meio de consultas ao sistema acadêmico institucional e aplicações de testes aos calouros. Em seguida, estes dados foram analisados com auxílio de ferramentas estatísticas. A coleta de dados referentes à variável qualitativa (comprometimento acadêmico) ocorreu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas junto a dezessete alunos, sendo que a análise se amparou na metodologia de Análise do Conteúdo, proposta por Bardin (1977). Os resultados sugerem a dependência entre cinco variáveis quantitativas analisadas e o desempenho obtido na disciplina de Cálculo I. Além disso, apontam que as posturas discentes adotadas frente a disciplina de Cálculo Diferencial e Integral I foram determinantes para o bom ou mau desempenho na disciplina. Como produto final foi confeccionado um aplicativo web que permitirá a reaplicação da metodologia de análise dos dados quantitativos nos outros câmpus da UTFPR e em outras instituições de ensino superior. / This research aims to analyse factors in order to understand their significance to the failure of Engineering freshmen students in Differential and Integral Calculus I. To this purpose, the basic hypothesis adopted is that academic commitment is a variable that expressively affects this setting. The theoretical framework summarizes the origin and evolution of Engineering courses, the relevance of the subject and respective failures, as well as potential aggravating circumstances. In addition, it approaches key factors related to failure in Calculus discussed in current literature. This is a mixed approach research and secondary hypotheses intended to either confirm or disregard the impact of certain variables, namely: grade achieved by students in Mathematics exam conducted in Brazilian High School National Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio, ENEM); weights assigned to ENEM Mathematics test; term of course admission (fall or spring); quantity of courses per week; previous knowledge on Mathematics; and distinct evaluation methodology. The research studies the performance of 3,010 students of UTFPR of both Pato Branco and Ponta Grossa campuses enrolled in the institution from 2010 to 2014. Data related to quantitative variables were collected through searches in the institution’s academic system and conduction of tests to first-year students. Subsequently, this data was analysed using statistics tools. The data accrual related to the qualitative variable (academic commitment) occurred through semi-structured interviews conducted along with some students and analysis was supported by Content Analysis methodology proposed by Bardin (1977). Results suggest the dependency among the five quantitative variables analysed and the performance achieved in the subject Calculus I. Furthermore, they indicate that students’ behaviour regarding the subject Differential and Integral Calculus I was definitive for either good or poor performance in the subject. The final product was the construction of a web applicative which allows the reutilization of quantitative data analysis methodology in other UTFPR campuses and college institutions.

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This study replicated and extended previous research I had performed that suggested that a student success course is an effective intervention to assist student-athletes in the adjustment to college. Participants in the current study included 4 groups of students, including (1) non-athletes and (2) student-athletes who were mandated and enrolled in the student success course, and (3) non-athletes and (4) student-athletes who were not mandated and did not enroll in the student success course. Overall, results from the current study suggested that the student success course was effective in helping non-athletes and student-athletes learn key cognitive strategies that are necessary for college success. In addition, results indicated that after taking the student success course, academically at-risk students earned equivalent grades, percentage of hours passed, and retention rates compared to their peers who were not classified as being academically underprepared. Finally, adjustment patterns of all groups were examined, with particular emphasis on the decrease in adjustment over the course of the semester that was demonstrated by the student-athletes. Intervention implications and future research directions are discussed, specifically in terms of how to address the unique needs of college freshmen student-athletes.

This study examined the relationships between perceived parenting styles, academic self-efficacy, and college adjustment among a sample of 31 freshman engineering students. Through the administration of self-report surveys and chi-square analyses, strong academic self-efficacy was demonstrated in students who reported authoritative maternal parenting. These findings support previous research on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and parenting styles. Implications were drawn for parents and future research.

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of living-learning communities on GPA and fall-to-fall retention rates for college freshmen at Regional University (RU). The specific focus of this study was the effect of these communities on students of different ethnic groups and on the potential of these communities to reduce the academic performance gap. RU was a small public university that offered both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. RU required all freshman students to live on campus in living-learning communities beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year. This study utilized the 343 student freshman cohort class of 2008 in the living-learning communities as the treatment group. This treatment group was compared against the 193 student freshman cohort class of 2008 living off campus and against the 643 student freshman cohort class of 2006 living on campus prior to the implementation of living-learning communities. In addition, the statistics were analyzed by ethnicity to examine the impact of these communities on White, Hispanic, African American, and Native American students and their ability to reduce the academic performance gap. The research revealed that the communities implemented at RU were not statistically significant at improving academic performance or at reducing the achievement gap. The results of this study were not consistent with the literature available on living-learning communities. Current research identifies six fundamental factors critical to the success of living-learning communities: positive working relationship between academic affairs and student affairs, involvement of faculty in the residence halls, appropriate funding, assessment strategies, university wide buy-in to implementing these communities, and commitment from institutional leadership. Examination of the inputs and processes on which these learning communities developed and operated indicated that the majority of these were not well developed to sustain these communities. The divergence of these findings from the literature may be attributed to key departures from the literature regarding the set-up and operation of these communities at RU.

This study focused on factors that may influence freshmen students when choosing their colleges, specifically those who attend metropolitan universities such as the University of North Texas. In addition to identifying major characteristics of the institution that attract students, it also explored the sources of information that students considered important when making their choice about where to attend college. The primary instrument for gathering the data was focus groups. These informal, small groups provided a format for in-depth discussion and probing questioning about the needs, wants and influential factors driving freshmen college choice. Ten focus groups were held with between six and ten students in a specially designed room on the campus of the University of North Texas. A professional moderator was employed and sessions were observed via a two-way mirror and tape recorded for later transcription. The major questions addressed in the focus groups included: What factors influenced students the most to attend the University of North Texas? What did they consider the level of friendliness on campus? And how did the marketing materials that the university distributed impact their decision to attend? The study found that the factors that most influenced freshmen to attend the University of North Texas were low cost, convenient location and the good academic reputation of their field of study. Students believed North Texas to have a very friendly campus and were pleased with the overall academic environment. They were not, however, impressed or greatly influenced by the marketing materials currently being used by the University and suggested ways to improve the design and distribution of these materials to make them more effective. Additional observations were made concerning these and related questions. A partial transcription of the focus group sessions is included.

Thesis (M. A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study aimed to explore contextual factors affecting first entering students' motivation to learn English at the University of Limpopo (UL). It has utilised a qualitative approach and also adopted an exploratory design to explore the contextual factors, which affect students' motivation to learn the English language. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from a selected sample of respondents. Moreover, Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed to analyse and thematise the collected data in line with the objectives of the study, which are aligned with the literature review in the study. The following themes were generated: students' motivations to learn the English language, the students' approaches to learning the English language, the role of context in relation to students' motivation to learn English, the lecture hall control and climate, the effect of lecture hall control and climate on students' motivation, and the lecturers' perceptions about motivation to learn. In addition, the study found that first entering students' motivation to learn the English language was influenced by contextual factors such as lecture hall setting, lecturers' teaching approaches as well as the perceptions of friends and classmates. Therefore, the study recommended that the UL Department of Languages, the lecturers, as well as the Academic Development Centre (ADC) should come up with possible strategies to suggest contextual factors that could motivate the UL first entering students to learn English. Key concepts: Motivation, contextual factors, English L2, first entering students, Self Determination Theory

With an overwhelming number of students attempting to enter college after high school, the competitive nature of college admissions continues to grow. Colleges and universities are attempting to find the appropriate means to adequately predict collegiate success. Common methods of this prediction have come from a variety of sources most of which are the use of high school performance and standardized college admissions testing. Walters State Community College was chosen for this study because of its open door admission policy that allows for variability in high school academic paths as well as grade point averages and ACT scores students earned in high school. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between high school grade point averages, high school academic paths, ACT scores, and 1st-year college success as measured by the number of college credit hours completed and college grade point averages at the end of the 1st semester and at the end of the 1st academic year. The study included 797 high school students entering the college in fall semester 2007 and completing their 1st academic year in spring semester 2008. The major findings of this study included: university Path students were (a) more likely to have a higher high school grade point average, (b) more likely to have a higher college grade point average and have earned more college credit hours at the end of the 1st semester and year, and (c) were less likely to enroll in remedial and developmental courses. Additionally, a moderate positive relationship was found between high school grade point averages and college grade point averages at the end of the college academic year. High school grade point averages and ACT scores were found to be statistically significant in predicting the number of college credit hours earned at the end of the college academic year.

This study was undertaken as an investigation to find out the socio-economic status of the Freshman class of North Texas State Teachers college, Denton, Texas. The investigation has the following purposes: to find out the number of independent, partially dependent, and dependent students; to discover social and economic factors concerning their home background the year preceding their entrance to the college; to study the economic status of these groups for the school year 1936-37; to study the social status of the same groups, on the campus, for the same period of time; to study the scholastic status of the same students during the same period, and to compare the grades of each group to discover the effect, if any, of social and economic status upon scholastic attainment.

There is a general lack of evaluations of college counseling programs. This is attributed to difficulties encountered in attempts to undertake evaluation, one source of difficulty being the uniqueness of the couseling problem of each student. Nevertheless, leaders in the field of personnel work feel that there is a distinct need for evaluation and make an effort to encourage further research of this type. / Typescript. / "A Paper." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science under Plan II." / "August, 1950." / Advisor: Stewart Murray, Major Professor. / Includes bibliographical references.