2000 First-Year Student Survey Data Tables:
Gender and Racial/Ethnic Comparisons
of Goals for Undergraduate Education

This document reports survey data on gender and racial/ethnic differences in the respondents' mean rating of their current development of and importance given to general education, personal development, and world view goals. Frequency distributions of responses by gender and race/ethnicity are available in "2000 First Year Student Survey: Frequency Distributions of Survey Item #18 (Goals)." Survey results for all respondents are provided in "2000 First-Year Student Survey: All Respondents." For information about the survey and analysis methods, see "2000 First-Year Student Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile."

Current Level of Development | Goal Importance | Comparison of Average Ratings for Importance and Development

Current Development

Mean Rating
Scale: 5="very high," 4="high," 3="average," 2="low," 1="very low"

Personal Development Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Taking responsibility for my own behavior

4.30

4.40

4.23

4.50

4.29

4.21

Viewing learning as a lifelong process

4.04

4.16

3.95

4.28

4.03

3.89

Ability to function as part of a team

3.96

4.03

3.90

4.12

3.95

3.86

Being independent and self-reliant

3.95

3.95

3.95

4.08

3.95

3.80

Recognizing/acting upon ethical principles

3.93

4.05

3.83

4.13

3.91

3.90

Understanding own abilities and interests

3.91

3.93

3.90

4.00

3.91

3.81

Realizing my potential for success

3.81

3.80

3.82

4.14

3.78

3.67

Having self-confidence

3.77

3.66

3.85

4.10

3.74

3.63

Having self-discipline

3.77

3.78

3.76

3.94

3.77

3.59

Clarifying personal identity

3.76

3.82

3.72

3.97

3.75

3.65

Coping with change

3.65

3.60

3.70

3.72

3.65

3.58

Developing a commitment to health and fitness

3.62

3.56

3.66

3.68

3.62

3.50

Improving leadership/management skills

3.58

3.64

3.54

3.79

3.57

3.45

Handling stress

3.52

3.33

3.68

3.65

3.52

3.37

Managing my time

3.35

3.41

3.30

3.36

3.37

3.16

Being involved in public/community affairs

3.32

3.53

3.16

3.60

3.30

3.26

General Education Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Developing good listening skills

3.79

3.90

3.70

3.93

3.79

3.67

Ability to apply mathematics skills

3.75

3.56

3.90

3.64

3.76

3.82

Ability to plan/carry out projects independently

3.74

3.86

3.65

3.70

3.76

3.64

Acquiring a broad general education

3.72

3.77

3.69

3.84

3.71

3.65

Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life

3.62

3.43

3.77

3.65

3.62

3.60

Ability to critically analyze events, information and ideas

3.61

3.61

3.62

3.65

3.62

3.46

Ability to communicate ideas orally

3.55

3.60

3.50

3.64

3.56

3.32

Developing computer skills

3.55

3.39

3.69

3.69

3.54

3.54

Developing good reading comprehension skills

3.54

3.60

3.49

3.65

3.54

3.38

Understanding diverse cultures/values

3.46

3.63

3.32

3.89

3.37

3.82

Ability to communicate ideas in writing

3.42

3.52

3.35

3.57

3.42

3.30

Ability to apply scientific principles

3.37

3.18

3.52

3.37

3.37

3.35

World View Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Valuing racial equity

4.20

4.34

4.09

4.55

4.14

4.39

Valuing gender equity

4.15

4.32

4.01

4.45

4.12

4.17

Being able to interact/work w/ people from diverse backgrounds

3.84

3.97

3.73

4.23

3.78

3.98

Having a tolerance for different points of view

3.81

3.96

3.70

3.98

3.79

3.84

Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music, and literature

3.42

3.61

3.27

3.52

3.41

3.44

Understanding issues/problems facing the world

3.31

3.21

3.38

3.43

3.29

3.33

Understanding the present as it relates to history

3.26

3.12

3.38

3.40

3.26

3.18

Frequency distributions: Gender/Ethnicity
(To view frequencies for a specific item or goal section, click on the item or section heading in the table above.)
Survey item #18 (exact wording)

Goal Importance

Mean Rating
Scale: 5="very important," 4="important," 3="moderately important," 2="of limited importance," 1="not important"

Personal Development Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Managing my time

4.63

4.73

4.56

4.80

4.61

4.64

Taking responsibility for my own behavior

4.59

4.72

4.49

4.76

4.58

4.56

Having self-confidence

4.59

4.71

4.50

4.76

4.57

4.57

Having self-discipline

4.59

4.70

4.51

4.77

4.57

4.62

Being independent and self-reliant

4.54

4.67

4.44

4.65

4.53

4.54

Handling stress

4.50

4.64

4.39

4.65

4.49

4.48

Realizing my potential for success

4.47

4.58

4.39

4.76

4.44

4.49

Understanding own abilities and interests

4.46

4.58

4.36

4.68

4.43

4.48

Improving leadership/management skills

4.38

4.47

4.30

4.61

4.35

4.41

Developing a commitment to health and fitness

4.38

4.48

4.29

4.45

4.37

4.39

Ability to function as part of a team

4.37

4.46

4.30

4.57

4.35

4.34

Viewing learning as a lifelong process

4.32

4.42

4.24

4.57

4.29

4.29

Clarifying personal identity

4.32

4.51

4.16

4.58

4.29

4.27

Recognizing/acting upon ethical principles

4.31

4.46

4.19

4.47

4.28

4.37

Coping with change

4.30

4.44

4.18

4.50

4.27

4.30

Being involved in public/community affairs

3.96

4.18

3.79

4.28

3.92

4.04

General Education Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Developing computer skills

4.50

4.51

4.49

4.65

4.48

4.51

Ability to communicate ideas orally

4.38

4.48

4.30

4.60

4.36

4.30

Ability to plan/carry out projects independently

4.38

4.49

4.30

4.56

4.36

4.36

Acquiring a broad general education

4.33

4.43

4.26

4.56

4.30

4.36

Developing good listening skills

4.33

4.47

4.22

4.63

4.31

4.22

Ability to apply mathematics skills

4.26

4.18

4.32

4.48

4.23

4.28

Developing good reading comprehension skills

4.21

4.34

4.11

4.57

4.17

4.23

Ability to critically analyze events, information and ideas

4.15

4.18

4.13

4.42

4.12

4.22

Ability to communicate ideas in writing

4.07

4.20

3.96

4.43

4.02

4.16

Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life

4.03

3.93

4.10

4.21

4.01

4.00

Understanding diverse cultures/values

3.92

4.18

3.71

4.50

3.83

4.16

Ability to apply scientific principles

3.88

3.77

3.97

4.01

3.87

3.89

World View Goals

All

Female

Male

Af. Am.

White

Other

Valuing racial equity

4.38

4.58

4.21

4.74

4.32

4.57

Valuing gender equity

4.31

4.54

4.12

4.59

4.26

4.39

Having a tolerance for different points of view

4.30

4.51

4.13

4.46

4.28

4.36

Being able to interact/work w/ people from diverse backgrounds

4.26

4.47

4.10

4.66

4.21

4.40

Understanding issues/problems facing the world

4.00

4.11

3.91

4.15

3.97

4.05

Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music, and literature

3.74

3.94

3.57

3.90

3.71

3.84

Understanding the present as it relates to history

3.73

3.74

3.72

4.01

3.70

3.70

Frequency distributions: Gender/Ethnicity
(To view frequencies for a specific item or goal section, click on the item or section heading in the table above.)
Survey item #18 (exact wording)

Scatterplot Comparing Goal Development and Importance Ratings (Female Respondents)

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development/importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Back to Top

Scatterplot Comparing Goal Development and Importance Ratings (Male Respondents)

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development/importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Back to Top

Scatterplot Comparing Goal Development and Importance Ratings (African American Respondents)

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development/importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Back to Top

Scatterplot Comparing Goal Development and Importance Ratings (White Respondents)

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development/importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Back to Top

Scatterplot Comparing Goal Development and Importance Ratings (Non-African American Minorities)

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development/importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Back to Top

For more information on the 2000 First-Year Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: February, 2001

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