Date of Award

12-2015

Rights

© 2015 Shireen Rahman

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Kathleen V. Davis

Second Advisor

Michelle Collay

Third Advisor

Bernice Mills

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of the purpose and value of the general education curriculum in those undergraduate faculty members who teach in the liberal arts and the health professions at the University of New England. Perceptions were evaluated within each college and then compared between each College. A mixed-methods approach was utilized with concurrent implementation of qualitative and quantitative strands. Data were gathered from the Faculty Survey on General Education which was completed by fifty-six (29.3%) of the undergraduate faculty members. In addition, twelve faculty members were randomly selected to participate in open-ended interviews. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests were used to examine and compare the responses of faculty members from both colleges. A thematic analysis was conducted on the faculty-respondents’ interviews. Results indicated that liberal arts faculty-respondents perceived that the purpose of general education is to provide breadth of knowledge and has value in its ability to prepare students for their role as citizens. Faculty-respondents from the health professions perceived that the purpose of general education is to provide intellectual and practical skills and has value in its ability to prepare students for their role as citizens. Respondents from both colleges perceived that general education serves a value of public good, liberal arts through democratic equality and health professions through social efficiency.

Comments

Ed.D. Dissertation

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