Does Intervention Improve Precalculus Performance Among Students in Historically Black Colleges and Universities?

Abstract

Many students across the country experienced a decline in academic performance due to COVID-19. As a result, college readiness measures have fallen short, especially in math. This lack of preparation frequently leads to additional teaching, wasting important class time by going over the prerequisite content again instead of using it to study new topics in greater depth. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of a recitation laboratory for precalculus students in bridging the conceptual gap, strengthening the concepts, eradicating any misunderstandings, and eventually improving student performance. The results demonstrated that the adopted intervention significantly improved student performance and helped students close conceptual gaps in precalculus, thereby reducing the level of attrition from their majors and university.