ERIC Number: EJ1383869
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1536-3759
EISSN: EISSN-1539-4107
The Impact of Instructional Modality on the Relationship of Psychological Sense of Community to Thriving among Graduate Students
Knott, Hannah; Baker, Sara
Christian Higher Education, v22 n2 p114-136 2023
McMillan and Chavis (1986) defined a psychological sense of community (PSC) as feelings of influence, membership, integration, and shared emotional connection. The importance of PSC to graduate student success has been established, but to date, no one has examined the extent to which PSC predicts student thriving when data is disaggregated by instructional modality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PSC contributes to student thriving to a greater extent for online learners than for those in face-to-face or hybrid programs. Data from the 2018 Graduate Thriving QuotientTM survey administration were analyzed. Analyses of variance determined there were no statistically significant differences in levels of thriving or PSC between the modalities. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis confirmed that PSC accounted for a larger percentage of variance in Thriving Quotient scores among online learners (20.6%) than for either hybrid learners (12.9% of variance) or face-to-face learners (7.5%). This finding suggests that when the proportion of the degree program that is conducted online increases, PSC becomes even more important to students' thriving.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Sense of Community, Graduate Students, Prediction, Blended Learning, In Person Learning, Online Courses, COVID-19, Pandemics, Comparative Analysis, Christianity, Religious Colleges, Likert Scales, Student Attitudes, Psychological Patterns
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A