University of Michigan - Flint

Faculty Name:  Susan Gano Phillips

Department:  Psychology

Campus Address:  411 Murchie Science Building

Email:  sganop@umflint.edu

Phone:  8107623424

Project Description:  This project seeks to advance our understanding of differences in student attitudes regarding the meaning and value of General Education within undergraduate university studies. Specifically, data will be collected from students at the University of Michigan-Flint and compared with that of students at City University of Hong Kong. City University of Hong Kong will be implementing a General Education curriculum for the first time over the next 3 years, as the higher education system in Hong Kong transitions from 3-year specialized degree programs to 4-year degree programs that are typical of university education in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. This study also intends to examine the extent to which the course pedagogies (teaching and learning methods) influence students perceptions regarding the meaning and value of General Education by comparing courses taught with rather traditional pedagogy (primarily lecture mode) to those where much more engaging and active pedagogies are used (team-learning, debates, case studies, role play, or community-based learning, for example).

It is possible that additional cross cultural comparisons of student attitudes regarding general education will occur with students from mainland China (United International College in Zhuhai) as well as students from India (at Women's Christian College in Chennai), as these collaborations are presently being explored. The instruments for this project are likely to be a combination of well validated/established measures such as the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (IAR) Questionnaire, as well as measures designed specifically for this cross-cultural study. These measures will be established while I am still in Hong Kong (where I am a visiting Fulbright Scholar during the 2008-2009 academic year), prior to my return to the US in July 2009. A cross sectional design will be utilized to examine student attitudes prior to or at the very beginning of their general education courses in comparison to those who have completed one or several courses, as well as those who have nearly completed the entire general education program. It is expected that attitudinal change regarding the meaning and value of general education will occur over the course of students' study. This study seeks to understand is whether the nature and magnitude of attitude change is consistent across cultures or whether pedadogical strategies of GE course instructors or students' prior K-12 educational experiences (which vary widely across cultures) differentially affect attitudinal change regarding general education studies.

Semesters Desired:  Fall 2009; Winter 2010

GSRA Position Description:  The GSRA will conduct extensive library research related to East/West differences in student preparation for university study, student attitudes toward university study, and the impact of general education programs on student attitudes and learning. This research may culminate in the GSRA participating in the drafting of a focused literature review.

The student may also assist in the development of additional survey instruments, survey protocols, IRB approval process at UM-Flint (if not yet completed at the time of GSRA appointment), and data collection, analysis, and write up. This will provide an excellent opportunity to see a research project proceed from beginning to the end and should serve as an exemplar of the process necessary for the completion of a quantitative research project or thesis.

Specific Day/Time Requirements:  This can be very flexible as most of the work will be done independently, following weekly or bi-weekly meetings between the GSRA and me. As specific aspects of the project may require our direct collaboration, meetings will be scheduled to fit both the G

Special Requirements:  None required. Familiarity with library database searches, internet research, and data entry and data management using SPSS preferred.

Graduate Students in These Programs May Apply:  Any active graduate student