John Jones

A MODEL FOR THE USE OF ATTITUDE SCALES ACROSS CULTURES

Abstract To minimize the verbal content of the attitude measurement situation with Papua New Guinea students, a set of pictorial items was selected for use in the place of verbal items. Initially, 150 pictures related to concepts in the Wilson-Patterson Attitude Inventory (WPAI) were described by a group of 50 students. Seventy of these items, those which were described in a consistent way, were presented to 227 students along with a Papua New Guinea version of the WPAI. A final set of 25 pictures was selected on the basis of their discriminative power, internal consistency, and their content validity. Reliability and validity measures and the rotated factor structure of the 25 item pictorial scale were consistent with the WPAI.

Students' Views of the Roles of a University.

The Filter, Human-Capital and Maturation hypotheses are taken as the starting point for an analysis of the roles of a University. Three separate Filter mechanisms are postulated, and the Filter as a whole shades into Human-Capital formation. Three Human-Capital roles are proposed: this area in turn merges into that of Maturation which can be viewed in two distinct ways. A student viewpoint, from a psychological perspective, is derived from the analysis of questionnaire responses of the whole of a first-year University entry (approximately 2,300 students). The roles referred to above appear out of the analysis. Students see the roles as having different importance: active Maturation/general HumanCapital and vocational Human-Capital are seen as the most important. However, there are differences which depend upon the degree that students are enrolled for. Broadly, the results indicate that Arts students see Maturation as being more important, while Commerce, Medical and Engineering students are more influenced by the vocational view; but the picture is not a simple one. A discussion of the trends for seven different degree groups is given.

Students' Assessments of Instruction as a Basis for Teaching Improvement and Promotions Decisions: A Case‐Study

ABSTRACT As part of an investigation of ways in which systematic evaluation of instruction might be implemented, teaching evaluations were carried out in a pre‐clinical medical department. The basis of the assessment was student feedback via questionnaire forms. Each form contained a common core of global items, aimed primarily at providing quantitative evidence relating to quality of teaching, and “tailor‐made” items aimed at the improvement of teaching. The results of the evaluations are discussed in terms of the reliability and validity of the procedures. Staff attitudes to the exercise are also discussed, as are modifications to procedures which have been made based on staff and student opinion.

Streaming in first-year university classes

ABSTRACT Streaming refers to the practice of dividing up a group of students on the basis of previous educational experience or achievement, and subjecting the different subgroups to different educational experiences. At the secondary school level, convincing arguments have been brought to bear against the practice. However, the analysis contained in the paper concludes that these arguments are not valid in the context of universities. Two case-studies of streaming in the departments of accountancy and physics are presented. Generally, the streaming arrangements led to greater staff and student satisfaction with the courses, and there is some evidence that students performed better academically under the streamed conditions. It is concluded that streaming in the first year of university may be beneficial, but that pressures for efficiency may act against its implementation.

Student Grades and Rating of Teaching Quality

ABSTRACT As part of a Faculty Review, students currently enrolled at the University were asked to rate the quality of the teaching they had previously experienced during their first year. About 900 students in four separate entry cohorts were involved, yielding a total of 28 separate ratings. These ratings were correlated with students’ examination grades. Between classes, there is an indication that rating of teaching is related to examination performance. Within classes, there is a positive and significant relationship between student grades and their rating of teaching only when the teaching is rated above average. The results are discussed.