INFLUENCE OF SEVERAL FACTORS IN THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF PHYSICS IN THEIR ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY

In this experience, level test was made to students of Physics subjects, who are attending to three different degrees, which belong to the area of knowledge of sciences and engineering, selected between from the offered from the University of A Coruna. It was developed during the first quarter of the academic course. The objective at the beginning of the experience was to evaluate the physics knowledge level which the students log in the university, attending to factors as: student previous studies, initial knowledge level about subject contents or the university degree which the student is attending for. It was pursued that students become aware of the knowledge level which they arrive to the university with. Likewise, transmitting the importance and usefulness of physics in the field of science and engineering was attempted. Once the quarter was finished, the progress of the students was analysed by repeating the same level test in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the didactic methodology applied during the course. Relations between the progress of the student and the factors before mentioned were searched. Improvements in the learning of all students was observed with the application of the methodology used and levelling of learning was reached for all the degrees studied. Clear differences were observed according to the academic origin of students, being the most notable and clear the progress of those who came from professional studies.