The Impact of the National Education Course on the Change of the Political Knowledge of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University Students
Hashem Al-Taweel, Dept. of Media and Strategic Studies, College of Arts,Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an, Jordan.
Sultan Al-Qura'an,Ph.D. in Poltical Science, Jordan.
Abstract
This study aims at investigating the changes triggered by the National Education course on political mode of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University students. For the purpose of the present study, the researchers developed a 22 item questionnaire covering three areas. Out of the ten sections of the National Education course offered in the summer session 2005/06, only two sections were randomly selected for these purposes. Among the students enrolled in these two sections, only 183 students voluntarily participated in this study.
Results show significant differences related to the impact of the National Education course on students attitudes and political beliefs:
(i) National Education course has triggered considerable changes in students’ attitudes towards themselves as well as others. However, no such impact is found when it comes to the changes triggered by the course on the students’ attitudes toward the government structure.
(ii) Gender and income average have no whatsoever impact on the changes found in students’ attitudes and their political beliefs toward themselves, others or the government structure. Yet, gender is found to be a key factor in the students’ attitudes and their political beliefs toward government structure. A direct relationship has been also found between specialization and students’ attitudes and their political beliefs toward others. This clearly appears via the dramatic differences between the beliefs of the students of humanities and those of the students of science, which favor the second group.
(iii) Income average is likely to influence students’ attitudes toward the government structure. Differences between those whose income average ranges from (351-450) JDs and those whose income average is less than (150) JDs do favor the first group.