| Coherence is a recurring theme in the discussion of general education reform, primarily due to the benefits that undergraduate students realize from having a coherent general education program. However, studies specifically assessing general education coherence are virtually absent from the literature. This study demonstrated how a student survey may be used to assess coherence.; The researcher hypothesized that if the items on the survey represented aspects of coherence as discussed in the literature, then a factor analysis would indicate that most, if not all, of the survey items could be loaded on a single factor, which may be referred to as coherence. Factor and reliability analyses confirmed this hypothesis. As a result, the study demonstrated that it is possible to use survey items as a scale to assess coherence.; Subsequent factor and reliability analyses identified the underlying concepts of coherence. These methods identified six themes: developing higher order thinking skills; developing values, ethics, and beliefs; developing interpersonal skills and career knowledge; developing cross-cultural competence; developing an understanding of the liberal arts; and developing quantitative and scientific abilities. Colleges and universities who wish to design surveys in order to assess coherence of their own general education programs may use the themes as guidelines in survey development.; The researcher computed factor indexes for the six themes and examined differences in the data among student major types, thus providing an example of how institutions may analyze the data from such a survey. For example, institutions may wish to address the reasons why differences among major types existed.; The procedures followed in the study may be of great assistance to institutions in assessing coherence of their general education programs. After identifying the areas where their programs lack coherence, colleges and universities may take the appropriate actions to enhance coherence and, consequently, the educational experience of their undergraduates. |
