Analysis of The Increase in Teaching Hours for Mathematics Modules on the Electronics and Computer Engineering Degree Programme
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/ijne.17.2026.22575Keywords:
class hours, failure rate, Mathematics courses, engineeringAbstract
Several studies report findings on the effectiveness of increasing instruction time or class hours. This research analyzed the effect of increasing class hours, starting in the 2023A academic year, in mathematics courses for the first and second semesters of the Bachelor's Degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University Center of the Valleys of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico. The study sought to determine if the increased class hours impacted academic performance indicators and course failure rates. For this purpose, the grades for these courses from the 2022A, 2022B, 2023A, and 2023B academic years were consulted in the University of Guadalajara's Integrated University Information and Administration System (SIIAU). Using these grades, results from similar academic years before and after the implementation of the increased class hours were compared. In the first phase, academic indicators were analyzed using statistical analyses of measures of central tendency, dispersion, and Student's t-tests between similar academic years, 2022A and 2023A, and subsequently between the 2022B and 2023B academic years. In the second phase, failure rates were analyzed, also comparing the 2022A and 2023A academic years, as well as 2022B and 2023B, applying the Chi-square test. The statistical analyses in both phases sought to identify any improvement in the indicators. Statistically significant results were found in both comparisons of academic years only in the subject of Precalculus, with improvements in the indices related to measures of central tendency, such as the mean, and dispersion, as well as in the failure rate. In the other subjects the results were not statistically significant, so it can be established that the increase in class hours did not improve indicators such as the mean, median, or dispersion of grades, nor did it reduce the failure rate in these subjects.
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