The Perception, Needs, Satisfaction, and Subject Selection Factor of General Education from the Sudents' Perspective

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the perception, needs, satisfaction, and course selection factors of general education from the students’point of view to derive implications for the reorganization and operation of the liberal arts curriculum. To this end, basic statistical analysis, difference analysis to identify student characteristics, and IPA analysis and Borich analysis to identify needs, were conducted on the response results of 1,454 students at a private university in Busan. The results are as follows: First, regarding the role and meaning of general education, students responded that general education plays a role in enhancing interest among students in subjects other than those of their major, nurturing human beings with character, and promoting a new understanding of their major subjects. The results of this response were significantly different according to gender and class. What is noteworthy is that there was little difference in the students' perceptions of the main purpose of general education, which is universal intelligence education, and the instrumental role of general education, which is a supplement to major education. Second, students' needs for the domain of general education were high in those practical domain fields that are directly related to employment, like career exploration and certification courses, and the associated domains for employment, like foreign languages and IT utilization fields. In the operation of the curriculum, there was a high demand for subject development reflecting the changing of the times and the latest trends, the expansion of student choice through the opening of various subjects, and appropriate class difficulty. Third, overall satisfaction with general education was above average, and there were statistically meaningful differences by gender, grade, and field. In terms of general education operations, it has been shown that expanding the range of student selection through the opening of subjects in various areas, opening subjects reflecting the changing of the times and the latest trends, using appropriate textbooks and learning materials, and the instructors' expertise have a significant impact on student satisfaction. Fourth, it was found that students consider the convenience and learning expectations first when choosing liberal arts subjects. Among the convenience factors, priority is given to classes that require no team projects, and subjects with little or no assignments are preferred. When it comes to learning expectations, subjects of interest and interesting subject names are given priority. There were differences in subject selection tendencies according to gender, grade, and the college itself. Based on the above research results, four implications were derived and presented from the perspective of the organization, operation, and instructional strategies of the liberal arts curriculum.