I may have mentioned this article on this list in the past. I apologize
that I do not remember the citation, though I believe it may have been
published in J. of Higher Education about 4-6 years ago. It was a study of
both faculty and student perceptions (multi disciplines and I don't
remember whether they split it down by discipline or discipline grouping).
At any rate, they found the majority of BOTH faculty and students reporting
an overemphasis on grades and an under-emphasis on learning. In addition,
the faculty tended to blame the students for this and the students tended
to blame the faculty.
I apologize for my lousy memory of details.
K
At 10:34 AM 7/23/2005, you wrote:
Hi, Ray and other dear teachers. I post this not to refute Ray's
statement that education is more market-driven than ever, but rather to
put it into interesting perspective. A couple years ago, I read for the
first time Becker, Geer, and Hughes' (1968) Making the Grade: The
Academic Side of College Life. Given my brief set-up, it shouldn't come
as a surprise to know that professors mourned the focus on grades in
1968. I think the dramatic difference between then and now--at least as
the book would have it--is that back then there were students who
agreed! Would that more of our students wanted to learn for learning's
sake and cared less about the grades...
As always, A.
D. Angus Vail
Department of Sociology
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503.370.6313
Fax: 503.370.6512
"It's not enough to know that things work.
The laurels go to those who can show HOW they work."
>From: "Ray Muller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Subject: TEACHSOC: Research on Sociology Students
>Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 10:30:23 -0400
>
>
>
>Hi everyone, As you all know, higher education is increasingly
market-driven and vocationalized. Credentialism has created a campus
culture where grades (not learning) matter most. Here is my question to
teh list: is anybody aware of research specifically on sociology
students' perception of higher education? Most research done, it seems,
is on general college populations.
>
>Thanks for your assistance!
>Ray
>
>Ray Muller, Ph.D.
>Sociology Department
>East Stroudsburg University
>570-422-3014 (phone)
>570-422-3198 (fax)
>
>
