Estudo exploratório sobre a evasão no curso de Computação da UFCG: um olhar sobre a disciplina cálculo I.

Abstract

Undergraduate dropout has been one of the main problems in the Brazilian higher education system. It may result from complex interactions involving personal, social, economic, and institutional factors that directly or indirectly influence students’ academic and personal experiences leading them to stay or leave the program. Among the most common causes of this problem are low performance and recurring failures in required courses. Courses that target basic mathematics have been a constant concern for programs in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering e Mathematics) field, especially those involving Differential and Integral Calculus. These courses have shown high failure and dropout rates, worrying teachers, coordinators, and other managers. The Bachelor in Computer Science program at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) is among the country’s best-evaluated programs. However, it presents student’s failure rates over 50% for the Differential and Integral Calculus I courses. In this work, we investigate the influence of the Calculus I course on the student dropout rate at UFCG’s BS in Computer Science program. The study comprises three stages: (i) analysis of UFCG Academic Control System data; (ii) analysis of data we collected from the students through a survey; and, (iii) content analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews we conducted. Results reveal that in the last fourteen years (from 2006 to 2019), about 40% of the Computer Science undergrad students dropped out of the program. We found evidence that not only the Calculus I course, but mathematics courses in general, contribute to the high dropout rates found. About 56% of the dropouts due to enrollment cancellations after the student fails the same course three times involve mathematical courses. Through the analysis of the interviews, we identified factors that made Calculus I a challenging course for students. These factors are related both to the individual characteristics of the students and to the teacher’s role and the preparation of the course. Among the factors that most contributed to failures in the Calculus I course are deficits in the students’ mathematical fundamental curriculum, the methodology the teachers use to conduct the course, and the student’s lack of commitment to the course.