An In-Depth Analysis of Personality and Other Participant Characteristics in a Web-Based Course for Science Teachers

BOYETTE, TODD RANDALL. An In-Depth Analysis of Personality and Other Participant Characteristics in a Web-Based Course for Science Teachers. (Under the direction of John C. Park). The purpose of this study was to analyze the role students’ personality and other characteristics play in their experience and achievement in a web-based course for teachers. Participants in the study were 17 inservice teachers enrolled in Technology Tools for Science Teachers in the 2002 spring semester. “Tech Tools” is a web-based class designed to teach teachers how to use various pieces of technology such as digital cameras in the science classroom. As part of the class, students are required to attend four face-to-face sessions during the semester. Personality data was generated by the administering of three instruments: The Simmons Personal Survey, The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. Students also completed an entrance survey at the beginning of the course. All e-mails and Instant Messages sent to the instructors as well as all posts to the class listserv were collected for both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Additional qualitative data was collected through Instant Message interviews with ten of the students conducted at the end of the course. The Simmons measures for Assertiveness, Courage, Sociability, and Self-Esteem were strongly correlated with students’ final grades. The 16PF measure for RuleConsciousness and the students’ years of teaching experience were also strongly correlated with final grades. The 16PF Global Factor Anxiety and Primary Factors Tension, Emotional Stability, and Apprehension yielded statistically significant (p < .05) correlations with the quantity of emails the students sent to the instructor. The Primary Factor Privateness yielded a statistically significant (p < .05) negative correlation with quantity of listserv posts. The Simmons measures for Tolerance and Consideration were also negatively correlated to emails sent to the instructor. The Simmons measure for Direction was positively correlated with emails sent to the instructors. Results from the qualitative analysis of Tech Tools indicated that students who are open and receptive to new ideas were better able to handle the rigor of the course, while students that enjoy change appreciated the content and format of the course. Selfesteem seems to impact the opinions of students regarding their experience in Tech Tools and Social Boldness seems to impact their opinions about the value of the face-to-face sessions. Other findings included how the amount of teaching experience of the students affected their perceptions of the workload involved in Tech Tools, how the requirements of North Carolina’s Lateral Entry program forces students to make decisions about courses that they would not normally make, and how the class listserv was not utilized by students until they had no other alternatives for help. An In-Depth Analysis of Personality and Other Participant Characteristics in a Web-Based Course for Science Teachers A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty, North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Science Education