Quantitative Literacy as a Hidden Prerequisite: Evidence from Large, Online Astronomy Courses

Despite the importance of quantitative literacy (QL) across many disciplines and areas of study, undergraduate students consistently demonstrate low levels of QL. Introductory science courses are often expected to develop these skills, yet they may instead rely on them as a prerequisite for student success. In this study, we examine the role of QL in the context of large, fully online introductory astronomy courses. Using a subset of established assessment questions, we find that students’ incoming level of QL is an important predictor of course performance, with higher incoming QL associated with higher final course grades. Affective variables, specifically numerical self-efficacy and numerical relevancy, explain the greatest share of variance in students’ incoming QL, more so than other demographic variables (such as race and gender). We have only a limited ability to speak to pre- to post-course changes in QL, but our results do not provide evidence of meaningful improvement over the duration of the courses. Overall, this work suggests that student success in introductory science courses may be limited by incoming levels of QL. As such, instructors may benefit from integrating quantitative reasoning more explicitly in their course learning objectives and providing support for students’ development of these skills.