Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Keywords
achievement scores, adult learners, alternative course delivery, associate degree, career goals, comparative study, concentrated classes, course delivery, Early Childhood Program, educational achievement, evening classes, ex post facto research, family commitments, flexible scheduling, higher education, independent means t test, literature review, Middlesex Community College, non-traditional students, Saturday classes, Sociology of the Family, student learning, traditional instruction, work commitments
Abstract
Recently, Middlesex Community College (MCC) has begun offering a new and innovative format for non-traditional students taking courses to attain an associate degree. One of these courses is Sociology of the Family and is a requirement for all students in the Early Childhood Program. These classes are offered once per month on four all-day Saturday sessions to cover a full semester of study. The problem is that there are administrative concerns about the equivalency of all day Saturday classes in terms of student learning.
The purpose of this study was to determine if achievement scores of students completing the Sociology of the Family course in a concentrated Saturday class format was comparable to the achievement scores of students taking the same course in a once per week evening session. The research question was "Do Middlesex Community College students who attend the concentrated all-day Saturday classes differ significantly in achievement scores than students who attend the traditional evening sections of the same course?"
The ex-post facto research design was used to conduct the study. Data from four sections of Sociology of the Family, two evening and two Saturday semesters was examined. A t test of independent means was used. The two groups were of equal variance.
The study produced two results. First, the literature review revealed the need to offer non-traditional students alternative ways to achieve their career goals. Second, the null hypothesis was accepted at the 0.5 level of significance.
The most important conclusion drawn from the results of this study was that the achievement scores of the students in the Saturday session did not differ significantly from the achievement scores of students enrolled in the traditional evening sessions of the same course.
As a result it was recommended that Middlesex Community College continue to offer this course in the four Saturday per semester format to students interested in pursuing their degree in this manner. For non-traditional students who are unable to attend classes during the day or in the evening due to work and/or family commitments, this option of study is an effective method of course delivery.