An Investigation of the Factors Motivating Meaningful Learning of Statistics by Graduate Systems Management Students at AFIT.
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis was to collect basic information on the statistical concept base potential GSM students usually bring to AFIT and to determine which statistical concepts are used by acquisition managers. The specific application of Ausubel's Learning Theory and Johnson's Curriculum Model was to statistics, even though both can be applied to other disciplines. In order to accomplish this purpose the following objectives were developed: (1) to collect data on statistical background and work experience of acquisition managers so an inference could be made concerning the statistical concept base of entering GSM students; (2) to determine the job functions being performed by acquisition managers so that the problems and exercises for statistical courses can be developed to represent the types of situations GSM students can be expected to encounter upon graduation from AFIT. Three conclusions were reached and these were: (1) while there are indications that statistics is needed by acquisition managers, the current survey results show that the acquisition managers are not using any of the identified statistical course/concepts in their work: (2) while the top ranked task functions are primarily quantitative in nature, the courses most used are qualitative with little or no quantitative nature: (3) while the response was good to the survey, the use of this survey to try and infer the concepts entering acquisition management GSM students would bring to AFIT produced unclear results. Any attempt to infer an association among the statistical concepts with the activity job groups will most likely require personal interviews of selected field personnel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA187271
Entities
People
- Michael L. Linnenburger
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology