Abstract:

In engineering degrees, and specifically in the Bachelor of Agronomical Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de València, laboratory practices constitute a fundamental pillar for acquiring technical competencies. However, it is often questioned whether students’ performance in the practical setting is a reliable predictor of their conceptual understanding in theory exams, or whether the two assessments operate as isolated compartments.

This work presents a quantitative analysis of the academic performance of a cohort of students in the Physical Foundations of Engineering II course. The primary objective is to determine the existence and magnitude of the correlation between success and comprehension in the laboratory sessions and the grades achieved in the theory exams.

The methodology involved segmenting students’ results according to the laboratory groups undertaken. A direct curricular correspondence was established. Student grades for those enrolled in the degree were statistically processed using correlation analysis and significance tests, excluding other degrees to avoid sample biases. This study enables faculty to reflect on the constructive alignment of the course and propose pedagogical improvements to better integrate laboratory experience with theoretical foundations. The total sample size was 202, and 173 of those students took the laboratory exam. The laboratory exam was related to the first or second theoretical exam, depending on the assigned model of laboratory exam. The analyzed variables were categorized into “passed” or “failed” exams (both theoretical and laboratory), and the type of laboratory exam taken by the student (“not presented”, “related to the first theoretical exam”, and “related to the second theoretical exam”).

The results revealed a statistically significant association during the first evaluation period (χ2 = 4.25, p < 0.05), where students who passed the laboratory sessions were 1.72 times more likely to pass the theoretical exam (Relative Risk = 1.72; Odds Ratio = 2.53). However, this dependency weakened during the second period, failing to reach statistical significance (p = 0.069). The Relative Risk value still indicated that students who passed the laboratory sessions were 1.62 times more likely to pass the theoretical exam, but these results lack statistical robustness. On the other hand, only 20.7% of the samples that did not take the laboratory exam passed the theoretical exams. This study enables faculty to validate the course’s evaluative coherence and reinforces the need to maintain an integrated focus between experimentation and theoretical foundations, highlighting the importance of reviewing the alignment between practical and theoretical content. This will allow students to better understand theoretical concepts, thereby increasing the course achievement rate.

Keywords:

Agricultural Engineering, Assessment of student Learning, Practice-theory correlation, academic performance, engineering education.