However, I have an idea for my Ph.D. dissertation in Adult Learning
(University of Connecticut, US) and would like to hear any opinions on it.
I am investigating the effects of culture on academic success, as measured
by grade point average (GPA), particularly among African-Americans. I am
collaborating in a funded project designed to help students from diverse
populations, and thought that I could administer the rep. grid to 20 or so
African-American students with very high GPA's and compare the results to
those from 20 (or so) with very low GPA's. I was thinking of using OMNIGRID
to help in the analysis.
My advisor is using a multi-scaled questionnaire that attempts to measure
such factors as sources of stress in the student's life, self-efficacy,
prior educational experiences, social support systems, time orientation,
adaptive help-seeking behavior, etc. I was also thinking of using
discriminant function analysis to see if scale scores, or clusters of scale
scores, could predict whether the student fell into the high or low GPA group.
I don't recall having seen any research like this, but i thought that I'd
ask around. Does anyone know of any similar study? Does this appear to be
a reasonable proposal? I want to do a simple, original, piece of research
that could perhaps spawn a series of related studies.
Any ideas? Thanks.
John F. Cubeta
Doctoral Candidate
University of Connecticut
jcubeta@connix.com
John Cubeta (jcubeta@connix.com)
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