When the Tail Wags the Dog: Perceptions of Learning and Grade Orientations, in and by, Contemporary College Students and Faculty Howard R. Pollio University of Tennessee-Knoxville Hall P. Beck Appalachian State University

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When the Tail Wags the Dog Perceptions of
Learning and Grade Orientations in, and by,
Contemporary College Students and Faculty
Howard R. Pollio University of Tennessee at
Knoxville Hall P. Beck Appalachian State
University
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Learning Orientation Items

• I find the process of learning new material fun.
• I enjoy classes in which the instructor attempts
  to relate material to concerns beyond the
  classroom.
• I browse the library even when not working on a
  specific assignment.

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Learning Oriented Students Tend To

• Display effective study skills.
• Exhibit above average reasoning skills.
• Have high levels of self motivation.
• Possess other positive educational attributes.

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Grade Orientation Items

• I think that without regularly scheduled exams I
  would not learn and remember very much.
• I think that grades provide me a good goal to
  work toward.
• I try to find out how easy or hard an instructor
  is before signing up for a course.

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Grade Oriented Students Tend To

• Be inefficient in their study habits.
• Find little pleasure in reading.
• Have below average Scholastic Aptitude Test
  scores for their university.
• Receive poor grades.

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LOGO F Learning Orientation Items

• I think that students should be encouraged to
  cooperate rather than to compete.
• I design course assignments that encourage
  students to read outside my discipline.
• I encourage students to raise questions in class
  that are topic related but which also go beyond
  the scope of the tests which I prepare.

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LOGO F Grade Orientation Items

• Without regularly scheduled exams most students
  would not learn the material that I present.
• I emphasize in my conversations with students
  the importance of studying to obtain good
  grades.
• I think that college grades are good predictors
  of success in later life.

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How Not To See
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Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
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Purpose Assess the Positive and Negative Values
Attached to Learning and Grade Orientations From
Three Perspectives

• Study 1 Students View Of Their Orientations
• Study 2 Students View Instructors Orientations
• Study 3 Instructors View Students Orientations

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Study 1 Objectives

• To determine the relationship between students
  current and ideal orientations.
• To assess the extent to which students ideal
  orientations influence or are associated with
  current orientations.
• To measure the degree that students are
  dissatisfied with their current orientations.

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Study 1 Methods

• Participants
• 184 Appalachian State undergraduates enrolled in
  either Introductory or Social Psychology classes.
• Procedure
• Students indicate on the LOGO II the extent that
  the items are currently descriptive of them,
  providing current LO and current GO scores. The
  same students complete the LOGO II a second time
  as they would ideally like to be, yielding
  ideal LO and ideal GO scores.

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Study 1 Method

• Students indicate on the LOGO II the extent that
  the items are currently descriptive of them,
  providing current LO and current GO scores.
• Same students complete the LOGO II a second time
  as they would ideally like to be, yielding
  ideal LO and ideal GO scores.

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Study 1 Measures

• Current LO score
• Ideal LO score
• Current GO score
• Ideal GO score

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Study 1 Results

• Current and ideal LO scores were positively
  correlated, r (182) .45, p lt .001.
• Also, current and ideal GO scores were positively
  correlated, r (182) .43, p lt .001.
• A 2(LO, GO Scale) x 2(Current, Ideal
  Instructions) ANOVA was performed using LOGOII
  scores as the dependent measure.

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Study 1 Results
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Why Are Students Dissatisfied With Their
Orientations?

• Instructors prevent students from achieving their
  high learning oriented and low grade oriented
  ideals.
• Most instructors encourage grade orientation.
• Most instructors give scant attention to learning
  orientation.

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Study 2 Objectives

• To determine if most students believe that
  instructors overly emphasize grade orientation
  and are unconcerned with promoting learning
  orientation in their courses.
• To discover if students views of instructor
  orientations are related to their own
  orientations.

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Study 2 Method

• Participants
• 212 Appalachian State undergraduates enrolled in
  Introductory Psychology sections
  participated.Materials and Procedure
• Students completed LOGO II under standard
  instructions. They then completed the LOGO F
  twice, indicating how they believed a typical
  ASU instructor would respond and how they would
  ideally like their instructors to respond.

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Study 2 Methods

• Students complete LOGO II under standard
  instructions.
• On LOGO F students indicate how they believe a
  typical ASU instructor would respond.
• Students answer the LOGO F as they would ideally
  like their instructors to respond.

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Study 2 Measures

• Students LO and GO scores
• Typical Faculty LO score and Ideal Faculty LO
  score
• Typical Faculty GO score and Ideal Faculty GO
  score

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Study 2 Results

• Regression of typical LO, ideal LO, typical GO,
  and ideal GO scores on students LO scores was
  statistically significant, F(4, 207) 3.62, p lt
  .001, R2 .07.
• Regression of four predictor variables on
  students GO scores was statistically
  significant, F(4, 207) 3.47, p lt .001, R2
  .06.

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Study 2 Results
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Study 3 Objectives

• To determine if instructors would like for
  students to be more grade oriented.
• To test the hypothesis that instructors are
  unconcerned with promoting learning orientation.
• To discover if the orientations instructors
  emphasize in their classes are related to their
  views of students orientations.

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Study 3 Method

• Instructors complete LOGO F under standard
  instructions.
• On LOGO II instructors indicate how they believe
  a typical ASU student would respond.
• Instructors answer the LOGO II as they would
  ideally like their students to respond.

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Study 3 Measures

• Instructors LO and GO scores
• Typical Student LO score and Ideal Student LO
  score
• Typical Student GO score and Ideal Student GO
  score

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Study 3 Results

• Regression of typical LO, ideal LO, typical GO
  and ideal GO scores on instructors LO ratings
  was statistically significant,F(4,149) 36.44,
  p lt .001, R2 .49.
• Regression of four predictors on instructors GO
  scores was statistically significant,F(4,149)
  45.51, p lt .001, R2 .55.

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Study 3 Results

• Strong negative correlation of typical LO and
  typical GO ratings, r(152) -.73, p lt .001.
• Strong negative correlation of ideal LO and ideal
  GO ratings, r(152) -.52, p lt .001.

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Study 3 Results
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Learning and Grade Orientations From the
Students Perspective

• Students are highly dissatisfied with their own
  orientations. They want to be more learning
  oriented and less grade oriented.
• Results of Study 2 are consistent with the
  premise that students believe instructors
  pressure them to be more grade oriented and less
  learning oriented than they desire.

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Learning and Grade Orientations From the
Instructors Perspective

• Many instructors are dissatisfied with the
  learning and grade orientations displayed by
  their students.
• Instructors want their students to be more
  learning oriented and less grade oriented.

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Why Do Students and Faculty Misjudge One
Another A Lovers Quarrel?

• Fundamental Attribution Error
• Need for Student-Instructor Dialogue
• Reactance