A Study on Symbolic Interaction Model of Students'' Learning Behavior：The Case of Nantou Community College

• Main Authors: Hao-Cheng Chi, 紀浩成
• Other Authors: Maw-Liann Shyu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/82744156631167617712

碩士 === 朝陽科技大學 === 企業管理系碩士班 === 98 === In 1998, Taiwan’s first community college was established in Taipei City. 12 years later, community colleges abound in Taiwan, with 240,000 enrolled students. The popularity of community colleges in Taiwan encourages people pay more attention to lifelong learning. Despite the ever-increasing number of their enrolled students, the community colleges in Taiwan, literally known as colleges but distinguished from the real ones, bring about three myths, namely (1) not clearly definition of role playing, (2) the gap between curriculum design and student need, and (3) most students go to community colleges not necessarily for an undergraduate degree. Hence, in the process of learning, community college students hold different perceptions about the role and functions of community colleges. This study employs the symbolic interactionism to investigate the learning behavior and perceptions about the role and functions of Nantou County Community College students. Data are collected by conducting in-depth interviews with 10 students from Nantou County Community College. Moreover, in accordance with the interview transcripts, data are analyzed by coding methods from grounded theory to identify symbolic dimensions about their interpretations for Community College. Symbolic dimensions include context, referent objects, self-reflection, and learning effectiveness. Based on data analysis, this study yields three propositions as follows: 1. Students hold multiple symbolic interpretations about the roles and functions of a community college. 2. Students’ symbolic interpretations about the roles and functions of a community college vary with their educational attainments. 3. Students’ symbolic interpretations about the roles and functions of a community college vary with their learning behavior. According to above conclusions, several suggestions are provided as follows: 1. Operation of community colleges should take account of market segmentation, so as to prevent students from seeing a community college only as a symbol of a refresher. 2. Community colleges should offer credit-earning elective courses. 3. The organizers of community colleges should actively participate in the students’ learning behavior.