The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between credit hour load and academic achievement of selected undergraduate college students. The study was designed to determine the relationship between credit hour load and grades earned by undergraduate college students in selected required courses and overall scholastic ratio during the specified quarters. Specifically, the study was designed to determine the additional contribution of the independent variable credit hour load to the overall relationship between academic achievement of the students in selected required courses, as measured by course grade, and overall scholastic ratio, and the independent variable set consisting of sex and ability as measured by SAT Verbal and SAT Quantitative scores.The population included all Ball State University undergraduate secondary education students enrolled during the academic years 1976/77, 1977/78 and 1978/79. The sample consisted of 1,007 students identified as having enrolled in and completed credit hour loads of twelve or more hours for at least one quarter. Students selected for inclusion had enrolled in either of two required secondary education courses, EDSEC 299 or EDSEC 420. The study was designed to control for sex differences and variations in ability.To accomplish specific purposes of the study, four null hypotheses were tested using multiple regression procedures. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SFSS) program was used in conducting the analyses. Two regression models were used to determine the statistical significance of the addition of the independent variable, credit hour load, to a set of predictors consisting of sex, SAT Verbal and SAT Quantitative scores. In the first model only sex, SAT Verbal and SAT Quantitative scores were used as predictors of the dependent variable (reduced model). The second model involved the addition of the independent variable, credit hour lead, to the predictor set. The difference between the obtained squared multiple correlation (R2) was then computed and tested for statistical significance at the .05 level using an F statistic.The findings regarding statistical significance of the contribution provided by credit hour load to a relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable set were:1. The level of prediction of course grades in EDSEC 299 provided by sex of student and ability data was not improved by the addition of credit hour load data.2. The level of prediction of scholastic ratio for students enrolled in EDSEC 299 provided by sex of student and ability data was improved by the addition of credit hour load data. The degree of improvement however, was so slight as to be of little importance in idiographic predictions.3. The level of prediction of course grades in EDSEC 420 provided by sex of student and ability data was improved by the addition of credit hour load data. The degree of improvement however, was so slight as to be of little practical importance in idiographic predictions.4. The level of prediction of scholastics ratio for students enrolled in EDSEC 420 provided by sex of student and ability data was not improved by the addition of credit hour load data.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/177166 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Joy, Janice Hempy |
| Contributors | Strom, Merle T. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 4, v, 53 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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