Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Educational Policy and Leadership

This study examined the impact on student humanitarian values of two different approaches to the undergraduate liberal arts college core curricula. One institution required a traditional course distribution requirement to meet the core curriculum requirements (N = 54). One institution required the traditional course distribution requirement and a supplementary curricular intervention strategy that emphasized examination of personal values and the values of other individuals and groups (N = 59). Data were obtained using a nonrandomized comparison-group pretest-posttest design. The Schwartz Value Survey was the measurement instrument. Students at the two universities were pretested in the first week of the second semester of enrollment, at the beginning of the four-course intervention sequence. Students were posttested at the two universities at the conclusion of the fifth semester of enrollment and at the conclusion of the fourth course in the intervention sequence. Results revealed supportive evidence for the hypothesis that the students required to complete the traditional course distribution and supplementary curricular strategy humanitarian values increased more than students required to complete only the traditional course distribution. However, the weight of the evidence did not support unequivocally that the specially designed curriculum was solely responsible for the student humanitarian value pretest-posttest differences.

Committee: Robert Rodgers (Advisor) Subjects: