A study of student achievement as evidenced by grades in two introductory biology courses in a large American university

This study was undertaken to analyze student achievement as evidenced by grades made in two introductory courses in biology at a large university during the fall and spring semesters, 1964-65. These courses are recommended at the freshman level. They are designed to offer a foundation in the principles of general biology as background for later specialization in the area of botany, zoology, biochemistry, and other life sciences. Both courses consisted of two television lectures and one class meeting per week. The class meetings consisted of summarizing the television lectures of the previous week and administering ten unannounced quizzes during each course. Final course grades were determined by scores on two one-hour departmental tests, one departmental final examination, and the quizzes given in class. The majority of data for this study was derived from the final grade sheets of the individual instructors of each course. The university counseling and testing service provided Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for a random sample of freshman students. The analysis of data revealed these findings: (1) A high rate of failure was noted in Biology A. (2) The frequency of grades in Biology B was well distributed. (3) The enrollment in Biology B reflected a 26% decrease when compared with Biology A. (4) Two instructors, one in each course, departed markedly from their fellow instructors in the high percentage of D & F grades assigned. (5) The best chances for success in both courses appear to be in the sophomore year. (6) For a random sample of freshman students enrolled in Biology A, a significant relationship existed between course grades and SAT-Verbal and Total scores. It was recommended that the department under consideration reconsider the difficulty level of both courses. Similar studies of these courses for subsequent years were recommended to discover trends. It was further recommended that other departments of instruction conduct similar studies of student achievement.