PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Joel Milam

MA-Research
December 1996

Assessment of a Learning Community Program: Intensity and Motivations of Student Involvement

    This study assessed the effects of, and relationships between, a learning community program and individual student motivations on student involvement.  The Learning Alliance is a learning community program at California State University, Long Beach, which includes integrated courses and peer support networking built into the curriculum.  There were eighty-eight Learning Alliance and eighty-two non-Learning Alliance students who completed questionnaires which assessed how many extracurricular groups they were involved with, the intensity of their time spent in these groups, any leadership positions held, and motivations behind their involvement.  Results indicated that the Learning Alliance had positive effects on both the quantity and quality of student involvement.  Motivation, gender and race specific findings are also noted and discussed.

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