The Use of the Semantic Differential Method in Assessing Attitudes and Predicting Final Grades in a Gross Anatomy Course / Mickey M. Lee and Others.
Whether a change in dental students' attitudes toward three preselected concepts would occur as a result of a traditionally difficult dental education course as measured by the semantic differential method is determined. This study attempted to determine the predictive value of a student's attitudes...
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Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1980.
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Physical Description: | 20 pages |
Format: | Microfilm Book |
Summary: |
Whether a change in dental students' attitudes toward three preselected concepts would occur as a result of a traditionally difficult dental education course as measured by the semantic differential method is determined. This study attempted to determine the predictive value of a student's attitudes in determining his/her final grade. The sample consisted of 89 first year dental students who took a 200 hour gross anatomy class. Instruments consisted of a semantic differential pretest for attitude assessment, an identical posttest, and cummulative midterm and final examinations. Three concepts chosen to assess students' attitudes were: "gross anatomy,""dental education," and "myself." The statistical treatment of the data employed factor analysis, paired t tests, and multiple regression analysis. Results indicated: (1) that students' attitudes toward the anatomy course and themselves did not change significantly, but that a significant negative change did occur in their attitude toward the dental educational experience as a whole; and (2) that students' attitudes toward specific concepts can be successfully employed to predict a portion of their final grade using the semantic differential method. (Author/RL) |
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Note: | ERIC Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, November, 1980). Microform. |
Call Number: | ED199265 Microfiche |
Reproduction Note: |
Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive. |