Attitudes Expressed by Students Toward a Beginning Course in Educational Psychology

A 21-item attitude inventory was developed from representative statements made by 377 students concerning their expressed attitudes toward a beginning course in educational psychology in order to examine the stability of their attitudes between the midpoint and end of the course. A t-test analysis of results revealed positive change toward the course from pretest (n = 340) to posttest (n = 318) for sixteen items at or beyond the .05 level of significance. Of these sixteen items, fourteen were at or beyond the .01 level and thirteen were at or beyond the .001 level. The rationale and procedures used in the latter half of the course which appeared to influence such changes are described, and five implications for the teaching of beginning courses in educational psychology are suggested.