Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differences in worldviews between academic advisors and their advisees (both traditional and non-traditional students) impact students' use of and satisfaction with the advising process. This study surveyed 115 students and 5 advisors from a four-year liberal arts university in southeastern United States. Analyses of the data revealed no significant differences among traditional and non-traditional students' worldviews. However the degree of match between advisees and their advisors on two components of worldviews (self-worth and meaningfulness) was related to students' use of and satisfaction with the advising process. There was a significant difference (F = 4.398, p < .0148) between students' self-worth and their perception of whether their advisors understood them. There was also a significant difference (F = 4.172, p < .0183) between student self-worth ratings and their commitment to actively seeking advising. In addition, there was a significant difference (F = 3.57, p < .0336) between student perceptions of “meaningfulness” and how students perceived the importance of advising. These findings suggest that a) students who have a similar self-worth value as their advisor have a sense that they are being understood, b) students who scored high or were within the means of their advisors self-worth tended to actively seek advising, and c) students who scored high or above their advisors mean score in meaningfulness, felt that advising was an important activity tor them. Implications for how understanding students' worldviews might improve academic advising are also discussed.
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