Teaching research of English level and general satisfaction on high academic achievement groups at the University of Alicante

Abstract

The Education, Culture and Sport agency of the region of Valencia “Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Esport” in Spain created the High academic performance (Alto Rendimiento Académico; ARA) groups in the academic year 2010/2011. This program was created with the main objective of boosting academic performance of the most outstanding students. This excellence program was set up in some bachelor degrees of all public universities in the region of Valencia, leading to valuable feedback to improve and promote the implementation and development of these types of groups. With this purpose, we conducted surveys at the University of Alicante where there is an ARA group in the bachelor degree of Biology. The surveys were aimed at professors and students of different degrees to know the opinions of people related and unrelated to the ARA groups. The surveys also aim to assess the degree of diffusion of ARA groups to potential students. Likewise surveys were aimed to assess the different English levels with the objective of evaluate differences between ARA and non ARA groups. Our results indicate that the level of English is better in ARA groups. People not related to these types of groups have a high level of disinformation about the ARA groups nor on their advantages nor on requirements to join. Therefore, improving the visibility and dissemination of ARA groups is recommended. In this way, potential students would have enough information to adequately consider enrolling in the ARA group.