ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT SATISFACTION OF CAREER LADDER STUDENTS ENROLLED IN BACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION.
Contributors: University of Oklahoma.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 136
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This descriptive study was designed to examine the following question: What are the individual factors and what combination of factors are associated with career ladder student satisfaction in baccalaureate nursing programs? Nine hypotheses were developed around the variables of locus of control, age, gender, marital status, number of children, number of work years, basic education and number of years since graduation.

The instrument for the study was a four-part questionnaire. The Personal Data collected descriptive information about the career ladder student. Questions of Satisfaction requested specific information concerning the program the participant was currently enrolled. Rotter's I-E Scale which measures internal or external locus of control measured the participants' perception of personal control. The College Student Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSSQ) measured dimensions of student satisfaction. The theoretical framework for student satisfaction is based on the expectancy theory developed from studying worker job satisfaction.

The sample for this study consisted of career ladder students enrolled in three state-supported universities in Oklahoma, one comprehensive university and two regional universities. Fifty-three responses were fully completed for a 74.5 percent response.

The results indicated that the variable of locus of control, gender, age, marital status, number of children, basic nursing experience, number of years since graduation and number of years of nursing experience were not found to significantly influence career ladder student satisfaction. The only variable that significantly influenced the score of the CSSQ was the program in which the student was enrolled. The students enrolled in the regional universities had a significantly higher CSSQ score than the students from the comprehensive university (F value = 5.66, p .0061). Although locus of control did not appear to predict student satisfaction, 75.5 percent of the career ladder students were identified as having an internal locus of control.

Implication of the investigation include the recommendation that faculties of schools of nursing need to consider the expected behaviors of adult students with an internal locus of control when program planning, developing learning activities and recruiting students. Future research should examine other variables that could affect student satisfaction.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4304.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, 1986.

School code: 0169.