A Student Evaluation of Graduate Education Courses at South Dakota State College by 1956 Summer Session Graduate Students Who had Taken Work Prior to January 1, 1956

Abstract

According to the Office of Admissions and Records, the enrollment in Graduate Education has greatly increased in the past few years. The number of students receiving their Masters Degree in Education has greatly increased since the first one was granted in 1930. A sampling of some of the years revealed that one student received his Masters Degree in 1948, two in 1949 and five in 1951. In 1955 the number of graduates had risen to nine. By the end of the 1956 Summer Session, twenty-six students will have been granted a Masters Degree in Education and it is likely that the trend will continue in future years. The importance of the Graduate Education Program is not concerned only with the graduate students, but also those who are the recipients of their instruction. It was felt that a student evaluation of the courses would present a satisfactory basis for judging the success of the Graduate Education Program. It would appear that the best method of evaluating a Graduate Program in Education would be by an examination of the ultimate production the student in the elementary or secondary school. Such a study is so involved and time-consuming as to be impractical. This study was based on the opinions of mature adults who have had opportunities to test the value of these courses under actual school situations. After all, who is more competent to judge the practical value of a course than the individual who makes use of it? Finally, it must be emphasized that this study represents the opinions of people. The fact that it is based on judgment does not detract from its value. Graduate students will continue to influence others and to be influenced themselves by the opinions which they have formed. This study is an attempt to discover those opinions, with hope that the Graduate Program in Education and Psychology may continue to be of the greatest possible value in meeting the needs of teachers and administrators. The purpose of this study of the Graduate Program in Education and Psychology at South Dakota State College is four-fold: To serve as a guide in future curriculum development. To enable graduate students to select those courses that are most likely to meet their needs. To encourage the use of material in graduate courses that will meet the needs of teachers and administrators in the school. To show the relationship between some of the factors involved in this study and the number of graduate courses taken. It is important that the administration and faculty know how the needs of the graduate students have been met. The criticism or praise of a few individuals would shed little light upon the total situation. It is the author’s desire to obtain enough information so that the perspective of the graduate student can be seen. This study is not an attempt to rate the efficiency of the faculty. It is merely an attempt to discover how practical these courses have been in actual school situations. It is conceivable that a course with an excellent job of instruction might rate low in the opinion of some students, when judged by its practical value in the classroom. The curriculum of the Graduate Education Division, like those of the elementary school, the high school, and the college has been developed for the purpose of meeting the needs of the students. The problem lies in determining when these needs have been met. The degree of satisfaction that the graduate students express will help to serve as an index in determining the success of the Graduate Program in Education and Psychology. Many students who begin taking graduate work have little understanding of the graduate program. The courses he pursues should contribute to fulfilling his needs. These needs will vary according to the individual and the end that he has in view. It is hoped that the opinions of the students who have taken these courses and have applied them in their schools will help to serve as a guidepost in choosing courses which are most likely to be of value to him