Meaning making among university students

Abstract

The current research aims to identify: (meaning creation among university students) and the significance of statistical differences in meaning creation according to the variable of gender (male - female) and specialization (scientific - humanities). To achieve the two research objectives, the researcher constructed a meaning creation scale based on the theory of Robert Kegan (1994) among university students. The scale consisted of (23) items. The apparent validity of the scale was verified by presenting it to a number of referees specialized in educational and psychological sciences, measurement, and evaluation. Construct validity was verified through correlational relationships (internal consistency of the scale). The reliability of the scale was verified using two methods: test and retest. The reliability coefficient reached (0.825), while the reliability coefficient of the instrument using the Cronbach's alpha method reached (0.843). The current research sample consisted of (200) male and female students, a basic sample of students from the University of Diyala for morning studies. The research sample was selected using a stratified random method with equal distribution, using a bag. Statistical analysis (SPSS) was used as a statistical tool to reach the following results: University students enjoy meaning-making, and there are statistically significant differences in the measurement of meaning-making according to gender variables (males, females), in favor of males. There are also statistically significant differences according to specialization (scientific-humanistic), in favor of scientific specialization. In light of the results of the current research, the researcher made a number of recommendations and proposals. The recommendation is to raise topics that contribute to the development of meaning-making among university students through workshops and training courses, encourage students to be creative in their opinions during lectures and listen to their independent ideas to create meaning, and conduct correlational studies between meaning- making and other variables such as professional identity, reflective thinking, psychological resilience, job satisfaction, and emotional intelligence.