Open AccessTHE EFFECTS OF ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS ON STUDENT LEARNING
Author(s) -
Hartnett Rodney T.,
Centra John A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
ets research bulletin series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2333-8504
pISSN - 0424-6144
DOI - 10.1002/j.2333-8504.1976.tb01105.x
Subject(s) - sample (material) , higher education , institution , medical education , academic institution , psychology , mathematics education , academic achievement , variation (astronomy) , computer science , political science , medicine , sociology , library science , social science , chemistry , physics , chromatography , astrophysics , law
The question of educational effects in higher education is reexamined by studying the effects of academic departments (rather than entire colleges) and employing as criterion measures achievement tests appropriate for the individual departments. Two separate samples of institutions and two separate criterion measures were used. The criterion measures for one sample of departments in four disciplines at small colleges were the Field Tests of the ETS Undergraduate Program. The criterion measures for another sample of departments in six disciplines at larger institutions were the Advanced Tests of the Graduate Record Examinations. Analyses of both sets of data revealed considerable between‐departments variation in educational effectiveness within the same institution, thus suggesting that educational effects research of this kind is more reasonable at the department rather than the overall college level. Analysis of the characteristics of the departments failed to identify any features consistently associated with indices of effectiveness.