Factors Affecting Student Effort Within A Higher Education Credit System

Irawan, Prasetya (1990) Factors Affecting Student Effort Within A Higher Education Credit System. Doctoral thesis, Syracuse University.

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Abstract

Purpose and Method The purpose of this study was to better understand student study effort (in terms of number of clock hours students spend in private study and in class) and to describe the relationships between it and selected factors that influence it. These factors were (a) student characteristics, (b) teacher characteristics, (c) course-related characteristics, and (d) study environment. Based on the findings, several recommendations are offered for the purpose of developing guidelines that will result in a more equitable system for estimating student effort and allocating course credit hours on a school by school basis. Fifteen courses from five different schools in an Institute of Teacher Training in Indonesia were chosen through a cluster sampling procedure. The 15 courses were required courses for majors in the students' chosen field of study. Each course was a lecture-type course and was offered for three credits. Of the 303 questionnaires completed by students attending the courses, 282 (93.40%) were usable. In addition, each of the 15 professors teaching these particular courses was also asked to complete questionnaires especially designed for them. The data were recorded and processed by means of the SAS software package. Correlation coefficients were used to test for relationships between student effort and the four influencing factors. A stepwise regression analysis was applied to study the nature as well as the magnitude of the effect of student effort. Results of the Study 1. Except in the School of Educaton most students tended to spend more study hours than were mandated by the government, allocated in the curriculum or estimated by professors. In this case, the actual student effort (private study and class time combined) allocated in the curriculum turned out to be the most realistic estimation. The least realistic estimation was that of the professors. The government's estimation fell in between the two. 2. In most cases the allocation of course credits did not proportionately reflect the number of study hours spent by students. Only in the School of Education did closely reflect the earned course credits. 3. Student effort was related to and influenced by several variables and these variables differed This implies that each school characteristics. Had from school to school. its own set of unique characteristics. 4. Private study and actual effort were mostly influenced by variables which could be controlled by students, while class time was mostly influenced by variables which were beyond the students control. 5. The general rule currently applied to determine students academic workload was apparently too general therefore its credibility needs to be questioned.

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