New York College Learning Skills Association

RTDE Issue Contents

Research and Teaching
in Developmental Education

Volume 20, Issue 2, Spring 2004

The Impact of Attendance, Instructor Contact, and Homework Completion on Achievement in a Developmental Logic Course

By Carl J. Chung, University of Minnesota, General College

Abstract

The impact of attendance and other factors upon student achievement in a developmental logic course was examined. Participants were 51 at-risk college students. Achievement was correlated with attendance, total contact hours between instructor and student, homework, mini-quiz, ACT-mathematics, and ACT-composite scores. Average differences between male and female students were also compared for all variables. Significant correlations were found between achievement and attendance, homework, and mini-quizzes. The author concludes that although attendance does play a role in achievement, other factors need to be considered and that a more fine-grained analysis is needed to understand achievement in populations of at-risk students.