Doctoral Graduates Evaluate the Relevance of Departmental Learning Objectives To Their Professional Responsibilities

Abstract

This article reports the results of an evaluation study undertaken at NCSU to determine if doctoral graduates of the Department of ACCE who perform different professional roles have different perceptions of the relevance of the Department's educational objectives. Relevance as used in the study referred to the utility or usefulness of the Department's objectives to the graduates' professional responsibilities. The graduates' evaluation was obtained from a questionnaire that contained a list of 38 competencies that were considered representative of the Department's objectives. Percentage distributions, mean scores, and chi-square values were statistical measures used in analyzing the data. The results indicated that professional responsibility was associated with the graduates' evaluation of the relevance of the Department's objectives. Teachers or researchers gave the research objective higher ratings of relevance. Program development specialists and administrators emphasized the relevance of an understanding of adult education as a process of social change and the objectives stressing professional skills needed by the practitioner.

Analysis of experiences gained in Agricultural 450 at Iowa State University

“…Test of significance of importance of the procedures used in Ag. 450 by respondents' willingness to select the same major again To maintain high-quality academic programs in a society characterized by rapid social and cultural change, it is necessary for higher education institutions to evaluate their academic programs (Noel and Parsons, 1973).…”