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Student Engagement and Liberal Arts at Truman State University
Analyzing Faculty/Student PerceptionsSpring 2006 Assessment Internship Chris Roberts and Rebecca MaddoxInternship Advisor: David Gillette
Assessment at Truman
The Interview Project 2003-2004 Project
Our Project: Overview
Looking beyond student perceptions
Comparing faculty and student ideas of student engagement and liberal arts
Our Project: Method
Faculty interviews Compared with 2003-2004 student
interviews Campus-wide survey
Student Engagement and Liberal Arts Survey Students and faculty were asked to
evaluate a number of characteristics within 10 questions
Response Range: Not at all important, of minor importance,
somewhat important, important, very important, and extremely important
In addition, participants were asked to respond to 2 open-ended questions
Significant Differences
Likert-scale range converted to a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being “extremely important”
Group means were analyzed with a t-test
Equivalent means were rejected with p-values less than .05
61 of 137 questions had statistically significant differences between faculty and students
Importance of Class Experiences in Contributing to a Good Liberal Arts Education
Faculty more value: Group Projects Independent thinking Speeches and presentations Writing papers (.966 greater than students) Discussions Hands-on labs Interdisciplinary connections Research
Importance of Class Experiences in Contributing to a Good Liberal Arts Education
Students more value: Wide range of classes Interesting subject matter A good professor
Differences in Responses Regarding Options to Strengthen Student’s Liberal Arts Education
Students believe there should be: More choices (.977 mean difference) Greater consistency and higher
standards across professors (.549) More interdisciplinary courses (.634) More connections from LSP courses to
major courses
Faculty were generally indifferent to mentioned options
Faculty Indifference Towards Options to Strengthen Liberal Arts Program
StudentFaculty
Fewer Requirements
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
200 150 100 50 0
Frequency
200150100500
StudentFaculty
Re-examine JINS Program
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
150 100 50 0
Frequency
150100500
Faculty Values Research
As an in-class experience that contributes to a good liberal arts education
As an out-of-class experience that contributes to a good liberal arts education
As an out-of-class experience that enhances college experience and individual growth
As a student/faculty interaction that contributes to a liberal arts education
Students Value Positive Faculty Characteristics
In describing a successful educator and distinguishing good educational experiences, students value:
A higher level of comfort and friendship Sociable and friendly faculty Professor enthusiasm Outgoing attitude Availability outside of class Willingness to hear students’ opinions Varied teaching abilities
Graphical Trends
Of the 10 major subjects, each one had highest valued and lowest valued questions.
These highs and lows were similar amongst students and faculty
Describing a Liberally Educated Person
1 2 3 4 5 6
Likert Scale
Students
Faculty
Ability to communicate and interact well with others
Ability to think and reason well
General academic knowledge, little expertise
Highly Valued Out-of-Class Experiences
Contributing to a liberal arts education Cultural events Study abroad
Enhancing college experience and growth as individuals Meeting new people Living away from home Study abroad
Least Valued Out-of-Class Experience
Greek Life
StudentFaculty
Contributes to a Liberal Arts Education
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
200 150 100 50 0
Frequency
200150100500
StudentFaculty
Enhances College Experience and Growth as an Individual
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
80 60 40 20 0
Frequency
806040200
Options to Strengthen Students’ Liberal Arts Education
1 2 3 4 5 6
Likert Scale
Students
Faculty
Additional requirements
Encourage faculty/student interaction
Eliminate foreign language requirements
Real-life application
Distinguishing a Successful Student
1 2 3 4 5 6
Students
Faculty
Takes responsibility for own work
Good Grades
Gender Differences
Student females more value Religious organizations Residential life Student employment Volunteer and service Study abroad
Faculty had 11 of 137 statistically significant mean differences, compared to 79 between students and 70 between faculty and students.
Open-Ended Question: Student/Faculty Interactions Where do most valued interactions
take place? In the classroom and in professors’
offices Labs, before and after class,
research Small numbers vs. discussion Students placed high importance
on faculty members knowing their names
Faculty Valued Interactions
Male Faculty
26
21
8
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
in class office hours research before/afterclass
Female Faculty
1720
107
0
5
10
15
20
25
in class office hours research before/afterclass
Student Valued Interactions
Female Students
117
146
4629
0
2040
6080
100
120140
160
in class office hours before/afterclass
discussion
Male Students
5664
29
9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
in class office hours before/afterclass
discussion
Student Engagement and Liberal Arts at Truman State University
Chris Roberts and Rebecca Maddox Internship advisor: David Gillette
Thank you for attending!
for further information, please contact:
Chris Roberts at [email protected],
Rebecca Maddox at [email protected], or
David Gillette at [email protected]
