Date of Award
9-8-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
John Beineke
Committee Members
Ahlam Lee; Amany Saleh; Julie Grady; Myleea Hill
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2015 C54
Abstract
This dissertation identified the cognitive levels of lecture objectives, lab objectives, and test questions in introductory majors’ biology. The study group included courses offered by 27 faculty members at 18 of the 22 community colleges in Arkansas. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to identify cognitive levels, the median lecture learning outcomes were at level 2 (Comprehension) and test assessments at Level 1 (Knowledge). Lab learning outcomes were determined to have a median of level 3 (Analysis). A correlation analysis was performed using SPSS software to determine if there was an association between the Bloom’s level of lecture objectives and test assessments. The only significant difference found was at the Analysis level, or Bloom’s level 4 (p=.043). Correlation analyses were run for two other data sets. Years of college teaching experience and hours of training in writing objectives and assessments were compared to the Bloom’s Taxonomy level of lecture objectives and test items. No significant difference was found for either of these independent variables. This dissertation provides Arkansas two-year college biology faculty with baseline information about the levels of cognitive skills that are required in freshman biology for majors courses. It can serve to initiate conversations about where we are compared to a national study, where we need to be, and how we get there.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Crandall, Elizabeth Diane, "Curriculum Alignment and Higher Order Thinking in Introductory Biology in Arkansas Public Two-Year Colleges" (2015). Student Theses and Dissertations. 727.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/727
