This study investigates the changes in attitudes of graduate students toward introductory statistics. The subjects are graduate students at a Midwestern university; the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) was used to measure pre-test and post-test attitudes. Subjects in this study were grouped into three groups: experimental group (group of students who were taking the introductory statistics course), control group 1 (group of students who were required to take the introductory statistics course for their degree but had not already taken it), and control group 2 (group of students who did not need to take an introductory statistics course). The mixed design MANOVA was utilized in this study with grouping by pre-test and post-test. The between-subjects factor was group, gender, and section (with different instructor) and the within-groups factor was time. The main effects and interactive effects were tested in a multivariate sense, and then univariate statistics were used to interpret significant simple effects. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the six dependent variables (affect, cognitive, value, difficulty, interest, and effort) on students' attitudes toward the introductory statistics course. All findings were interpreted at alpha level p<0.05.Analysis of the data revealed significant differences in the attitude factor difficulty among all groups. The male and female attitude change was not significantly different among all groups. However, there were significant differences of attitudes changes between two sections (by different instructors) of students in the experimental group, but there were no significant differences of attitude changes between two sections by time. / Department of Mathematical Sciences

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / In recent years Universities have attempted to articulate the generic outcomes of the educational experiences they provide, beyond the content knowledge that is taught. In Australia these outcomes have come to be known as generic skills or generic graduate attributes, although they are also referred to by a range of other terms. Much like aspects of a mission statement, universities have claimed that these are the core outcomes of higher education at the particular institution and that every graduate of every degree will possess these. However there is considerable variability in what is claimed by different institutions, both in terms of which outcomes are included and the nature of these outcomes, ranging as they do from low level technical skills to complex personal attributes and values. As outcomes, this variability is magnified in the inconsistency with which such attributes are addressed in the curriculum and, where they are addressed, in the variety of pedagogical approaches employed. The observation of such variability was the starting point of this study. This research is broadly situated within the phenomenographic perspective on teaching and teaming (Marton & Booth 1997). In the investigation described in this thesis, phenomenographic analysis is used to identify and describe the qualitatively different ways inwhich a group of academics, from different disciplines, understand the teaching and learning of graduate attributes in the context of their own courses and teaching. Four qualitatively distinct conceptions of the nature of graduate attributes and their place amongst the outcomes of a university education are identified. These are related to six distinct understandings of the way in which students develop such attributes at university. The relationships between these two hierarchical aspects of academics' understandings of graduate attributes, (conceptions of what it is that is taught/learnt and conceptions of how it is taught/learnt) constitute seven logical and internally consistent understandings of the phenomenon. These seven understandings represent three broad approaches to the teaching and learning of graduate attributes. The conceptions identified in this analysis provide a way of making sense of the variety of policy statements and the range of curricula approaches reported in the literature. Moreover, these conceptions of graduate attributes provide a tool to support current attempts to implement systematic curriculum reform across a university.

Research on students' approaches to learning in higher education has consistently demonstrated a range of factors influencing students' approaches to learning. The vast majority of these studies have been carried out with British and Australian undergraduate students, primarily first year students. These studies focused on specific factors using models of inventories or questionnaires.As a postgraduate student, my interest in tertiary education and my working background as a staff member in a Chinese university has led me to the present research. From my point of view, knowledge is constructed rather than transmitted. Students have their own characteristics in the process of constructing their own knowledge due to their diverse educational and life experiences. Thus, it is not appropriate to categorise them in certain fixed stereotypes. For understanding their learning experiences and exploring the factors which influence their approaches to learning, it is necessary to have interactions with them in order to gain in-depth insights.This researcher used interviews on the basis of an investigation of the factors influencing learning from a sample of postgraduate students in a New Zealand university. The interview data was discussed with participants, other postgraduate students as well as some lecturers within the school. Common themes across participants were identified. In addition, the factors within each participant's interviews were presented to show the unique characteristics of the individual postgraduate students.The findings from this study showed that the influence of students' prior knowledge and learning orientations was important and this supports the literature in this field. The contextual factors which include lecturers, choice and integration of courses, and assessments were found to affect students' approaches to learning and responsible for the variability of learning orientations. Consistent with other studies, work responsibilities, financial problems and family commitments were found to have an impact on approaches. Lecturers' preferred teaching and research styles and students' expectations of lecturers' support were found to be significant factors with regard to students' approaches to learning.This study explored the factors that influence postgraduate students' approaches to learning, especially at the individual level. The findings have significance for understanding students' learning and improving the quality of learning. Lecturers might be aware of the diversity of students' characteristics and adopt appropriate teaching strategies for enhancing students learning. The school administrators and programme leaders might want to create a more positive environment for lecturers' better teaching practices. Postgraduate students in the similar situations may confirm the factors that influence their learning approaches and assume higher personal academic responsibilities for their learning.In my future study, the lecturers teaching conceptions and factors that influence their teaching approaches will be investigated for mutual understanding between lecturers and students. Alternatively, further study might replicate the present research with a sample of postgraduate student in my home country (China) to identify the similarities and differences.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1990. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MEd) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2005. / Also held in print (viii, 91 leaves, 30 cm.) in Akoranga Theses Collection. (T 378.155 JIA)

Thesis--PlanA (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MEd) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (ix, 65 leaves ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 378.155 HUA)

Thesis (PhD)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David Yopp. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-209).

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li zheng zhi da xue, 1977. / On double leaves. Includes bibliographical references (p. 313-333).

Thesis (MEd(Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.