(How) Do Prerequisites Matter? Analysis of Intermediate Microeconomics and Agricultural Economics Grades

Abstract

Success in intermediate economics and agricultural economics classes with respect to course prerequisites was evaluated. Prerequisites were statistically important for both intermediate microeconomics and in two of the three agricultural economics courses evaluated. The primaryfinding was that-for three of the four courses evaluated-the higher the proportion of students who completed the listed prerequisite, ceteris paribus, the lower the grade for any given student.Results also indicate that students with higher ex ante GPAs, and to some extent higher math equivalent SAT scores, received higher grades.

Grade Performance of Face-to-Face Versus Online Agricultural Economics Students

“…Grade point average plays a very strong and statistically significant role in explaining the probability of achieving a specific letter grade in AE489. Buschena and Watts (2001) and Devadoss and Foltz (1996) had similar findings with regard to the importance of GPA in predicting success of agricultural economics students. Cohn (1972) and Durden and Ellis (1995) also found college GPA to be one of the most important variables impacting student performance in college-level economics courses.…”

“…Researchers in the economics discipline have focused heavily on the predictive power of math SAT scores on performance in introductory economics (Anderson et al, 1994 Durden and Ellis, 1995; Ballard and Johnson, 2004; Elzinga and Melaugh, 2009). However, less attention is given to factors that affect performance in intermediate and upper‐division economics and agricultural economics courses (Buschena and Watts, 2001). Yet, consideration of skills acquired through the economics curriculum in introductory coursework may be equally as important in explaining performance in intermediate and upper division courses as math SAT scores have in explaining performance in introductory courses.…”

“…Yet, consideration of skills acquired through the economics curriculum in introductory coursework may be equally as important in explaining performance in intermediate and upper division courses as math SAT scores have in explaining performance in introductory courses. Buschena and Watts (2001) found that when considering performance in intermediate microeconomics, there was little statistical predictive power derived from the SAT math scores. In alignment with findings of Buschena and Watts (2001), we omitted the math SAT scores in favor of verbal SAT scores.…”

Critical Building Blocks: Mandatory Prerequisite Registration Systems and Student Success

“…Students who do not meet prerequisites for courses may be underprepared for the demands of college-level course work, thus potentially compromising their success in the course and overall persistence in college. Many researchers have documented the importance of prerequisites on students' grades; for example, Buschens and Watts (2001) found that students who do not meet prerequisites for economics courses received lower final grades than those who had taken the precursor courses. Others have found that students who met prerequisites in math courses had greater rates of success and retention than those who did not (Jacobson, 2006).…”

“…Others have found that students who met prerequisites in math courses had greater rates of success and retention than those who did not (Jacobson, 2006). Prerequisites appear to matter not only to individual students but also to their peers: Students are likely to receive lower final grades in courses where a high proportion of their classmates lack prerequisites (Buschens & Watts, 2001).…”