Involvement of university students in the teaching-learning process

ABSTRACT One of the basic aims of universities is to train qualified workforce needed for the country by realizing the relevant educational activities. The proficiency of the workforce is, of course, related to the quality of the education itself. The involvement of the students in the teaching-learning process is one of basis factors forming the qualification of higher education. The aim of the study is to identify the involvement level, style and the factors affecting the involvement of university students in the teaching-learning process. The subject of the study consist of altogether 431 students enrolled at seven faculties and two colleges, 16 different programmes of Anadolu University in the academic year of 1997-1998. The selection has been done randomly, without any criteria. The data collection procedure involves a survey designed to elicit the needed information, which was gathered by administering 'The Identification of Universities Students' Involvement in the Teaching-Learning Process" in the pre-determined courses of the students. The analytical procedure has been done by calculating the arithmetical average, standard daviation, Kolmogorov-Smirnov sample distribution, T-test in two group correlations, and one-way ANOVA in groups more than two. For the statistical analysis of the data, "SPSS 7.0 for Windows" has been used. The major findings of the study suggest that the involvement of university students in the teaching-learning process is usually not at an effective level; students IVexhibit covert involvement behaviours rather then overt ones. In addition, students with low involvement behaviours relate this to the teaching factors; whereas students with high involvement relate their behaviour mostly to the elements within the teaching-learning environment.