ABSTRACT

This study identifies significant differences between the learning approaches of mature and ‘conventional’ students, answering the call for more empirical insights into mature students’ learning experiences. The study uses a survey approach, collecting data with the Biggs SPQ Instrument, involving 204 university students in Ghana, and applies various statistical analyses to test for significant differences in mean responses. The results of the study confirm the preference for deep and strategic learning among mature students, but departs from the existing empirical finding, albeit fast-evolving, that conventional students prefer surface learning. It will seem, that the growing relevance of intrinsic motivational reasons for academic pursuit even among conventional students, perhaps due to the reality of non-existing jobs after graduation, has shifted students’ motivations with subsequent effects on the approaches to learning. Another reason could be the visible efforts by higher education institutions to improve students’ study experience and engage them in developing higher-order cognitive skills. Therefore, even though prior life experiences impact learning approaches, current and future contextual estimations by students also affect their current actions. This is the first application of a dataset from Ghana to the study of learning approaches and also the highest known reliability score for surface approaches using the SPQ instrument.

摘要

这项研究确定了成熟学生和“传统”学生的学习方法之间的显着差异，回应了对成熟学生学习经历进行更多实证洞察的呼吁。该研究使用调查方法，使用比格斯 SPQ 工具收集数据，涉及加纳的 204 名大学生，并应用各种统计分析来测试平均响应的显着差异。研究结果证实了成熟学生对深度和战略学习的偏好，但与现有的实证发现背道而驰，尽管发展迅速，传统学生更喜欢表面学习。看起来，即使在传统学生中，学术追求的内在动机原因也越来越相关，这可能是由于毕业后不存在工作的现实，改变了学生的动机，进而影响了学习方法。另一个原因可能是高等教育机构明显努力改善学生的学习体验并让他们参与发展更高层次的认知技能。因此，即使先前的生活经历影响学习方法，学生当前和未来的情境估计也会影响他们当前的行为。这是来自加纳的数据集首次应用于学习方法的研究，也是使用 SPQ 仪器的表面方法的最高已知可靠性分数。另一个原因可能是高等教育机构明显努力改善学生的学习体验并让他们参与发展更高层次的认知技能。因此，即使先前的生活经历影响学习方法，学生当前和未来的情境估计也会影响他们当前的行为。这是来自加纳的数据集首次应用于学习方法的研究，也是使用 SPQ 仪器的表面方法的最高已知可靠性分数。另一个原因可能是高等教育机构明显努力改善学生的学习体验并让他们参与发展更高层次的认知技能。因此，即使先前的生活经历影响学习方法，学生当前和未来的情境估计也会影响他们当前的行为。这是来自加纳的数据集首次应用于学习方法的研究，也是使用 SPQ 仪器的表面方法的最高已知可靠性分数。