Course Format and Student Learning Styles: A Comparison of Political Science Courses

ABSTRACT

This study investigates whether differences in learning styles exist between students in online and face-to-face (FTF) sections of political science courses taught by three instructors. Some studies suggest that student preferences regarding online or FTF formats are influenced by their preferred modes of learning. Independent learners, for example, may prefer online courses since they provide individualistic opportunities to study outside of the traditional classroom. This study uses original survey data to assign students one of six learning styles in order to assess whether independent learners are more common in online courses. Our analysis finds no significant differences in independent learners when comparing the two formats. This finding runs counter to studies that argue that independent learners tend to prefer online courses. In fact, the only learning style where we observe a meaningful difference among online and FTF formats is among dependent learners. Contrary to expectation, students enrolled in online versions demonstrated a greater tendency toward dependent modes of learning. Further survey responses suggest that student lifestyle drove course format selection rather than learning style. These findings have important implications for universities that increasingly turn to online courses to address decreasing enrollments and attempt to remedy the high attrition rates associated with those courses.     

Why Students Withdraw from Initial Teacher Training

Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England is experiencing a crisis in recruitment to one-year postgraduate courses of training for specialist subject teaching in secondary schools (post 11 years). Against this background, it is important that those students who are admitted to ITT courses are retained. However, ITT providers are experiencing increased withdrawal rates. This article reports on a small-scale research project focusing on the following: the reasons why students withdraw from courses; how these reasons correlate with the views of schools where students are on teaching practice; and what measures course management could take to reduce the rate of withdrawal.     

Use of an Online Reading Intervention to Enhance the Basic Reading Skills of Community College Students

ABSTRACT

Approximately two-thirds of community college students nationwide are considered to not be ready for the demands of college and are therefore required to enroll in at least one developmental education course. Unfortunately, researchers have found that enrollment in developmental classes often has adverse effects on community college students and that developmental courses are time-consuming and often result in delay or prevent the completion of a degree. With a significant number of underprepared community college students, it is important to develop effective methodologies to help students acquire the skills that they will need to succeed in college and future employment. It is also important to determine how a student’s experience impacts academic progress, as well as motivation to continue in college credit courses. Unfortunately, a limited amount of research exists on the use of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) in developmental reading courses at the community college level. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a computer-based reading intervention, MindPlay Virtual Reading Coach, on the reading and spelling achievement of community college students, and to explore whether or not students’ perceptions and attitudes changed after participation in this program. Findings demonstrated statistically significant results in both reading and spelling, as well as an increase in reading enjoyment.     

The Use of Computers in the Education of Open University Students with Disabilities

Abstract

In 1988 the Open University is implementing a major new policy on the use of computers in its courses; students taking certain courses will be obliged to have access to a microcomputer. This new policy has many far‐reaching consequences, not least for students who are disabled. In the past most computing in Open University courses has been done by students using terminals in local study centres, linked to the University's mainframe computers. Also, a number of students who are disabled have used computers in their studies, principally for word‐processing written work. By interviewing disabled students who have taken such courses, and surveying other disabled students, it has been possible to anticipate to some extent the likely impact of the home‐computing (HC) policy. Results suggest that for many disabled‐ students the HC policy represents an improvement in their opportunities; now they will be able to study courses involving computers entirely at home. However, a number of problems have also been identified. Hopefully, as many of these have been recognised at an early stage, it will be possible to address them before they affect students directly.     

Personality Ratings of High School Students

Abstract

This study was an attempt to measure the effect of black dialect on the reading test performance of black and white high school students. Forty-six low achieving ninth grade students were administered a standard English form and a black dialect form of the read ing subtest of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, Level II. The dialect form was written so that the written language of the test approximated the exact oral sentence pattern of the black students taking the test. Results showed that black students administered the dialect form did significantly better (.05) than black students administered the standard English form. White students did significantly better (.01) than black students on the standard English form of the test. All other differences were not significant.     

Early Reading Background of Some Superior Readers Among College Freshmen

Abstract

A criticism of acceleration Is that it often results In lower grades In subject fields In which preliminary courses were skipped than could normally be expected of students talented In those fields. This study, composed of 108 pairs of students, compared the grades received In advanced courses by students who skipped the preliminary courses with the grades received In the same advanced courses by equally talented regular-progress students. It was found that the difference between the grades received by the two groups of students was not statistically significant. Therefore, It seems clear that acceleration did not result in lower-than-expected academic performance In advanced courses for the students included In the study.     

Classroom Anxiety and the Examination Performance of Test-Anxious Students

Abstract

This study examined the academic performance of low, moderate, and high test anxiety students within two classrooms which differed significantly in the mean level of anxiety aroused by examinations. When differences in classroom anxiety were not considered, a significant negative linear trend was observed between anxiety level and academic performance (p < .001). No differences were found in the academic performance of low test anxiety students within the two classrooms, but a significant interaction (p C .05) was observed between classroom anxiety level and the academic performance of moderate and high test anxiety students. Moderate test anxiety students tended to obtain slightly higher examination scores in the High Anxiety Section than in the Low Anxiety Section, white the opposite was true for high test anxiety students.     

Acculturation and Ecological Worldview Among Latino Americans

Abstract

The authors examined environmental attitudes among foreign-born Latino Americans and differences in these attitudes associated with acculturation. Data were collected from Spanish-speaking students (N = 153) enrolled in 3 levels of English as a second language (ESL) courses and from English-speaking students (N = 39) enrolled in a Spanish as a second language course. Measures included the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale, a 4-item acculturation scale, ESL course level, and demographics. Acculturation was negatively related to scores on the NEP scale, and Spanish-speaking students in lower level ESL courses scored higher on the NEP than students in higher level courses. These effects remained significant even when income and education were used as covariates. These findings suggest that culture is an important determinant of environmental attitudes.     

Knocking on the Ivory Tower's Door: The Experience of Ex‐Convicts Applying for Tenure‐Track University Positions

Courses dealing with crime and the criminal justice system go under various names, Criminology, Criminal Justice, Justice Studies, and Justice Administration being among the most popular. Presumably, those who name these courses see subtle differences between these names and select a title that is seen to best reflect the particular focus of their course. For example, in Australia Justice Administration has been generally used for courses that have an explicit vocational mission. This paper, however, is not about what these various courses contain, but what people think they contain. The paper reports on a study that examined the perceptions of various course names by prospective and current students in the field. It is argued that the name of a course has significant implications for the attractiveness of that course to prospective students and the way that students in a course define their studies. Moreover, the meanings that students attach to course names seem to impact upon their sense of occupational identity.     

Achievement Effects of the Cleveland Voucher Program on High Ability Elementary School Students

Abstract

The issue of school choice and its effects on student performance have become a prevalent part of the educational landscape. This longitudinal investigation examines a group of students not typically associated with the school choice movement: high ability or “gifted” students. The study analyzed whether attending a private school through participation in the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, which is among the longest running experimental evaluations of a school voucher program in the United States, resulted in differential performance on standardized achievement tests for topperforming students. Analyses showed that no statistically or practically significant differences were found between gifted students participating in the program and control group students who attended public schools.     

Academic support model for post-secondary school students with learning disabilities: student and instructor perceptions

ABSTRACT

While post-secondary school students with learning difficulties confront many challenges, there is little research on methods of support. In the current study, the ‘adapted course’ model was qualitatively examined from the perspective of both students and instructors. The main goal was to explore how students and instructors perceived the instruction in adapted courses. Five pre-service students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and three instructors were interviewed. Responses were analysed using subjective analysis, with central content categories identified based on student and instructor statements. Six main themes emerged: (1) small class size; (2) emotional support; (3) adjusted teaching methods; (4) independent practice exercises; (5) instruction by modelling; and (6) instructor characteristics. The current study can inform pedagogical principles on which a support model for post-secondary students with LD can be based. It provides analyses of the effectiveness of one support model and presents the perceptions of both faculty and students. Moreover, the study provides an opportunity to learn about potential components of effective teaching-learning, not only in the specific context of adapted courses, but in any supportive learning situation (e.g. tutoring) or course.     

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Quality Assurance Based on Teaching Evaluation by Students: A Case Study of Fudan University

Abstract

After more than 20 years of exploring liberal arts education in Chinese universities, its curriculum development has been institutionalized. Efforts to build localized curricula that fit the realities at each institution have shifted from focusing on quantity and structure to emphasizing curriculum quality assurance based on teaching evaluation by students. An empirical analysis using Fudan University’s teaching evaluation data shows that some liberal arts core courses offered by technical and engineering departments are too specialized, while some offered by social sciences and humanities and languages departments lack rigor. Student evaluations of such courses therefore tend to be low. Improving the quality of liberal arts courses can begin by examining both teaching evaluations by students and course grading, starting with the less rigorous courses for non-majors. Improving the quality of liberal arts courses can begin with the courses that are too specialized or lacking rigor based on both teaching evaluations by students and grade distribution.     

Access Courses and Students from Minority Ethnic Backgrounds

Abstract

This article describes a study of the uptake of places on ‘access’ to higher education courses in Scottish further education (FE) colleges by students from minority ethnic backgrounds. Colleges surveyed recruited access students from minority ethnic backgrounds in close approximation to the proportions attracted to FE in general, despite the commitment to prioritise under‐represented groups, including students from minority ethnic communities. The study found a general acceptance of the principle of positive action by colleges, but little evidence of strategies likely to prove effective. It is suggested that the government's agenda for widening participation in education can only be accomplished when the FE sector recognises ethnicity as an important issue.     

Impact of Personality on Choice of Instructional Delivery and Students’ Performance

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate how college students’ personality characteristics relate to their choice of instructional delivery (online or face-to-face) and whether this choice mediates the relationship between personality and academic performance. One hundred eighty-eight undergraduate students were given a choice between taking the same general education course online or face-to-face. Students completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) upon the conclusion of this course. Using a Bayesian regression course modeling framework, we found that Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were related to the choice of instructional delivery. Students scoring higher on Conscientiousness and lower on Agreeableness tended to choose the online environment. Conscientiousness also was a direct predictor of academic achievement regardless of the course environment. These results suggest that in order to find the best fit between student and the learning environment, it is important to identify personality characteristics indicative of success in online and traditional face-to-face courses to help students to become more efficient learners and assist faculty in designing quality courses to meet students’ needs.     

Cross-Validation of a Model of Intrinsic Motivation With Students Enrolled in High School Elective Courses

The purpose of this study was to cross-validate a model of relationships among social-contextual factors, individual differences, and intrinsic motivation in adolescent students enrolled in required courses (E. Ferrer-Caja & M. R. Weiss, 2000) with an independent sample of students taking elective courses. Female and male high school students (N = 219) completed measures of motivational climate, teaching style, perceived competence, self-determination, goal orientation, and intrinsic motivation. Motivated behavior was assessed by teachers who rated the students on effort and persistence in class activities. First, the authors used structural equation modeling to examine model invariance between the original and the new samples, which yielded a lack of equivalence. Next, the authors examined several alternative theory-based models using the elective sample. The results indicated that the data were best represented by a model that separated social-contextual factors, individual factors, intrinsic motivation, and motivated behaviors. The strongest predictors of intrinsic motivation were task-goal orientation and perceived competence. These results are discussed from both theoretical and methodological perspectives.     

Test Anxiety Among Students Taking Semesterised and Traditional Courses

Abstract

A survey was conducted of the test anxiety of 154 second year students of a variety of subjects at a new British university. Half of the sample were studying on conventionally structured degree courses and half on newly semesterised degree courses. It was found that students on semesterised arts and science courses exhibited higher levels of test anxiety than did their counterparts on conventional courses but no such difference was observed for social science and business (including law) students. This finding is contrary to predictions based on a desensitisation model which would predict an attenuation of test anxiety as a result of more frequent testing under semesterised arrangements. A case is made that the character of assessment procedures, and possibly also students’ previous experience of the outcomes of assessment, contribute to an increase in test anxiety in the short to medium term. Any effects of desensitisation may only be evident in the longer term and may be opposed by other factors such as the timing of assessments under semesterised arrangements. Further research is required to fully investigate the long‐term effects of these variables.     

The Effect of Alternative Biology- Chemistry Course Sequences on ACT Performance of College-Bound Students

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of varying the biology-chemistry sequence for students in college-preparatory high schools. Two schools, one in which students scheduled biology before chemistry, and the other chemistry before biology, furnished students (N = 514) for the study. The curricula of the two schools were compared and found to be similar, with the exception of the biology-chemistry sequence. The student groups were compared and found to be similar in entering ability. The measuring instrument used in the evaluation was the ACT Natural Sciences Reading Test. All subjects took the test on the same testing date. Separate comparisons were made for the graduating years of 1980, 1981, and 1982. The general conclusion of the study was that varying the sequence for the two courses produces no sizeable effect on test performance.     

Including All Voices in the Classroom: Teaching Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Students

Abstract

A collaborative research project. which was offered as an alternative to traditional undergraduate independent study courses, is discussed. The authors describe the characteristics of traditional independent study courses and how collaborative research efforts differ from them. Such projects provide an in-depth exposure to the topic under study, produce outcomes of a scholarly paper or presentation at a professional meeting, and facilitate authentic interactions between student and teacher. Specific guidelines for establishing a collaborative research project are provided. The authors, a college faculty member and an undergraduate student, outline the benefits of collaborative projects and specific lessons learned from their experiences executing a project.     

The Search for Virtue

ABSTRACT

Sixty accredited MSW programs were surveyed to determine whether there were significant differences between those programs offering discrete ethics courses and those not doing so on a number of ethics education related variables. Results suggest virtually no significant differences on the variables examined, with the exception that programs offering discrete courses more often expose students to literature on the broad topic of moral philosophy. Also examined was the extent to which all of the programs surveyed were following the pedagogical recommendations of the ethics education literature reviewed. The results suggest that many MSW programs are not following these recommendations in a number of respects. The implications of these findings are discussed, and specific suggestions are offered for those faculty concerned with the ethics component of their course offerings.     

Non-School English of High-School Students

Abstract

This study explores the effects of classroom feedback and evaluation structure on students’ attributional tendencies. It extends the application of attribution theory from its conventional use in the context of individual differences to the classroom level. A classroom model was developed describing the effects of feedback and evaluation practices on the distributional pattern of students’ attributional tendencies. The results of this study suggest that the feedback and the evaluation system in the classroom affect students’ causal explanations of their successes and failures in school. The results show’ that in classrooms where the feedback structure is rich, more specific, and individualized, the attributional tendencies of the low achievers are closer to those of the high achievers.