Abstract:

Academic failure may be consequence of a number of reasons that must be analysed all together. The Institution, the programs and all parts involved are accountable for what occurs in the classroom (Martinez, 2005). Non-approval of one or several subjects is reflection of insufficient knowledge from the students, which could be caused by a number of reasons, including the educational system, the teachers participating and the Institution, besides the students who did not make a reasonable effort or have shown themselves incapable of acquiring the necessary skills or knowledge (Castro, 1988), The objective of this work is to analyse all parameters identified by teachers as determinants for disapproval of students from the Chemistry, Pharmacy and Biology (QFB) curricula at the Faculty for Higher Education (FES) Zaragoza from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). A questionnaire was prepared, addressed to QFB teachers with open questions, requesting their opinion on any physiologic, psychologic, sociologic, pedagogic or institutional factors they consider important as cause for students failure. Their answers were analysed and classified in categories that will be presented to the same group of teachers, asking them to establish a hierarchical order according to the importance that they consider every factor has as reason for students not to approve one or several subjects. In this way, participating teachers will not only express their points of view about this problem but will also provide suggestions to prevent academic failure from their own students (Ditcher & Tetley, 1999).

Supported by DGAPA PAPIME PE206913.

References:
[1] Castro R. (1988). Academic failure. FCE, Mexico.
[2] Martinez R. (2005), Design of sistems as education parameters. National Institute for Evaluation of Education. Mexico.
[3] Ditcher A & Tetley J (1999). Factors influencing university students’ academic success: what do students and academics think? HERDSA Annual International Conference, Melbourne. Available at: http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/1999/pdf/Ditcher.PDF. Accessed April 2, 2014.

Keywords:

Academic failure.