Conceptual weaknesses found in Precalculus I students at UPRM

Abstract

This article summarizes the general findings found in a group of 736 new students in the Pre-Calculus I course at The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM), regarding what has been called conceptual and procedural weaknesses, that is, what student should know before studying the topics developed in the Pre-Calculus I course. A general summary of a weekly survey carried out with the collaboration of 13 math professors with this group of students is presented; all those who weekly reported concepts that according to the criteria of each of these professors the student should know or have knowledge of it. All these professors developed the same topics on a weekly basis, since the Pre-Calculus I course was organized under the same academic calendar and following the same base book. This work is part of a first result obtained in the research that is being carried out under the modality of Corequisite Support at the UPRM in the Pre-Calculus I course. This first part will serve as the basis for building a future implementation and investigation of what is found here around each report.