2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Analysis of factors that influence the academic performance of first-year Chilean engineering students

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - Technical Session 4: Supporting Success 1

This complete research paper identifies and analyzes the factors that influence academic performance and, consequently, the retention rate of first-year students in the school of engineering at a private Chilean university. Chile's retention rate has slightly increased in recent years, from 72.2% in 2016 to 75.9% in 2020. Comparisons by area of study show that the lowest rates are found in degree programs associated with Technology and Basic Sciences, with 70.7% and 76.5%, respectively. Prior research on this subject has evaluated the importance of the academic success of first-year engineering students as one of the key factors that promote student retention in this and related fields. On the other hand, factors associated with these results in the first year of engineering include socio-demographic variables, pre-university and university educational experiences, socio-cognitive characteristics of students, and family background. This research aims to analyze the factors related to students' academic performance according to the association between the independent variables of socio-demographic, family, social and economic backgrounds, and the dependent variable of academic performance in the first semester of their first year of studies. Through a quantitative non-experimental methodology, a descriptive and correlational analysis was conducted to explore the variables. This was achieved via an institutional survey undertaken by n=1,273 first-year students from 11 different degree programs who answered before starting their classes in 2022. Results highlight certain factors that affect student academic performance. The present research has improved our understanding of the new generation of young people entering the engineering field through several different variables. Therefore, higher education institutions must analyze and implement appropriate actions to enhance first-year students' academic performance and improve retention rates.

Authors

Ms. Cristian Saavedra-Acuna Universidad Andres Bello, Concepcion, Chile [biography]

Cristian Saavedra is an assistant professor at the School of Engineering at the University Andres Bello
in Concepcion, Chile. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and a master’s degree in Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Cristian is certiﬁed in Industrial Engineering, University
Teaching, Online Hybrid and Blended Education, and Entrepreneurship Educators. He teaches industrial
engineering students and carries out academic management activities. His main research interest areas are Innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering education, gender perspective studies in STEM education, and
data analysis and visualization.
Dr. Monica Quezada-Espinoza http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0383-0179 Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Monica Quezada-Espinoza is a professor and researcher at the School of Engineering at Universidad Andrés Bello in Santiago, Chile, where she collaborates with the Educational and Academic Innovation Unit (UNIDA) as an instructor in active learning methodologies and mentors engineering faculty in educational research. She is the Secretary of the Women in Engineering Division (WIED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and an associate researcher in the STEM Latin America Network, specifically in the STEM + Gender group. Her research interests are diverse and focus on university education in STEM fields, faculty and professional development, research-based methodologies, and the use of evaluation tools and technology for education. She is also passionate about investigating conceptual learning in abstract physics topics, developing strategies to improve the retention of first-year engineering students, and enhancing skills and competencies in higher education. Additionally, Monica is dedicated to exploring gender issues in STEM education, with a particular emphasis on studying and proposing improvements for the inclusion of women in highly male-dominated fields. For more information on her work, visit her ORCID profile.

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