Approaches to Studying Apt) Preferences for Teaching in Higher Education: Implications for Student Ratings

Two studies in Scotland used similar questionnaires to examine relationships between approaches to studying and students' preferences for different types of learning environments. The first study also examined the relationship with students' evaluations of their courses, while the second included reasons for choosing that course (educational orientation). In the first study, a questionnaire was designed containing a shortened version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory and administere6 to 123 first-year engineering students. A similar questionnaire was administered in the second study to 153 first-year psychology students. Maximum likelihood factor analysis explored the dimensions of interest. For failing students there was a substantial incoherence between their approaches to studying and their patterns of preference for different kinds of teaching and courses. Students who adopted deep or surface approaches to studying also preferred methods of teaching and assessing that encouraged their own approaches to learning. Consequently, there were differences in the types of teaching students would rate highly. Students are likely to define good teaching differently based on their approaches to studying. Four tables present study findings. (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 01 lice of Educational Remirch and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI posits:in or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY /1)6E)5 EiuTI))37-4 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." APPROACHES TO STUDYING APT) PREFERENCES FOR TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDENT RATINGS Noel Entwistle and Hilary Tait Centre for Research on Learning and Instruction, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Paper presented at the AERA Annual Meeting, April 1993 v. BEST COP7 02.111:1E