Predicting Academic Achievement Among Bilingual Hispanic College Technical Students

Abstract

The predictive validity of each of several mathematics and language variables relative to criteria of grade point average (GPA) and word problem-solving skills for a group of 60 undergraduate Hispanic engineering and science students was investigated. For comparison purposes, the study also included a group of 73 monolingual technical undergraduates. Results showed a strong correlation between GPA and all language as well as mathematics variables for the bilingual group, but not for the monolingual group. The bilingual group also exhibited a persistent and statistically significant correlation between the language proficiency measures and scores on mathematics examinations that required almost no language processing, whereas no such correlation existed for the monolingual group.