CORRELATES TO SUCCESS FOR THE ADULT LEARNER IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING CURRICULUM (SELF-CONCEPT).
Contributors: University of Houston.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 178
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic achievement and global self-concept, self-concept of ability, locus-of-control orientation, age, academic ability and previous related work experience in the adult student. The population studied were students enrolled in Houston, Texas community college nursing curriculum. A total of 102 female subjects participated in the study. Most subjects were Caucasian, married, with a mean age of 33. Most subjects worked, averaging 16.5 hours per week. Approximately 50% of the subjects had worked as nurse aides or licensed vocational nurses.

The initial data was gathered from all subjects in the first part of the Fall semester. Grade point averages for all courses that were required to have been completed by the end of that semester were calculated from official college records for each subject. The instruments used in the study were the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the Post High School Self-Concept of Ability Scale, the Rotter Internal-External Scale and the Nelson-Denny Reading Test.

Using SPSS Pearson product-moment correlations (r) between variables found 13 significant correlations. Those significant at $p = <.001$ included global self-concept and locus-of-control orientation and self-concept of ability and grade point average. Significant at $p = <.01$ was age and previous related work experience. Other significant correlations included age and locus-of-control orientation, age and grade point average, reading ability and self-concept of ability, biology grade and locus-of-control orientation and biology grade and grade point average.

Using the multiple regression research technique, the grade received in Human Anatomy and Physiology I and self-concept of ability were found to be significant predictors of academic achievement (G.P.A.). This combination of variables explained 60% of the variance in academic achievement for these subjects $(\□rm R\□sp2 = .60).$ These results indicate that for this group of subjects, self-concept of ability was more significant in predicting grade point average than some of the more traditional measures such as reading ability.

It is believed that these results may have implications for educators working with adult learners. If self-concept of ability can be modified to become more positive, then the adult student may be assisted to achieve at a higher level. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: A, page: 1672.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, 1987.

School code: 0087.