Cooperative learning, student characteristics, and persistence: an experimental study in an engineering physics course

ABSTRACT

The dropout rate of university engineering studies is correlated with the absence of retention of freshman in the basic subjects. The aim of this work is to determine the effect of cooperative learning and the characteristics of students on learning, persistence, and academic performance. We have performed a study of learning, persistence and academic performance in an engineering physics course, comparing two groups with different teaching, one traditional and the other through cooperative learning. In addition, we have analysed the influence of the characteristics of the students on the results and the perceptions of the students regarding the teaching. The students of the cooperative learning group had a normalised average gain in the Force Concept Inventory that was 72.7% higher, a significantly higher persistence, and a final grade similar to that of the group receiving traditional teaching. The previous education and the size of the community of origin of the students had a significant effect on the persistence of the students. The perceptions of the subject and lecturer were similar in both groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Dropouts
• retention
• logistic regression
• ANOVA
• student perceptions

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful for the support from the Department of Physics and Computer Architecture of the Miguel Hernandez University. We also thank José Luis Sainz-Pardo Auñón for initial advice and David Walker for translating the manuscript.

Declaration of interest statement

The authors have no interests to declare.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

José M. Cámara-Zapata is professor of Applied Physics in the Physics and Computers Architecture Department of the University Miguel Hernandez of Elche, Spain. He has been teaching Applied Physics in Engineering for twenty-five years. He is very interested in improving the basic training of engineering students. In addition, he works in applications of renewable energies and improving the efficiency of water and energy use in greenhouses.

Domingo Morales is full professor in the Operations Research Center of the University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Spain. He has been teaching statistical courses on Statistics for thirty-five years. He is very interested in improving the basic training of university students. His research interests include statistical modelling, small area estimation and data analysis.