University students' learning approaches and outcomes : impact of perceptions of course learning environment and achievement goals

Abstract

Tertiary institutions across the world continue to seek ways to enhance not only the knowledge students gain during a degree course but also the generic skills that they develop. Employers today assume discipline knowledge in graduates and are looking for skills that enable graduates to be work ready. Deep learning, which focuses on understanding rather than memorizing, has been shown to enhance better understanding and conceptualization of academic materials as well as better development of generic skills (e.g. analytical and problem-solving skills). Most researchers in the past have examined student learning in relation to deep learning, separately in the Students’ Approaches to Learning (SAL) and Achievement Goals (AG) perspectives. The present study therefore investigated how constructs from the SAL perspective: perceptions of course learning environment and approaches to learning, and constructs from the AG perspective: achievement goals, work together to enhance student learning and lead to more positive learning outcomes.

Single-point-in-time and longitudinal studies were conducted among undergraduate students of a university in Hong Kong using paper and online survey through class visits and email, respectively. There were 849 and 651 students included in the single-point-in-time analyses of Study 1 and 2 respectively. A total of 183 cases were included in the longitudinal study. Analyses of structural equation modeling were conducted, and the results showed that achievement goals mediated the relationship between students’ perceptions of course learning environment and approaches to learning. This mediating relationship as a result could influence students learning outcomes in terms of GPA and perception of the development of generic skills. In particular, students’ perceptions of good teaching helped to promote the adoption of mastery goals which facilitated use of a deep approach to learning, as a result, were related to the perception of better development of generic skills. Students’ perceptions of a heavy workload promoted the adoption of performance-avoidance goals which encouraged use of a surface approach to learning and related to a lower GPA. Analyses of variance were used to compare students with single goal and multiple goals adoptions (i.e. adopting both mastery and performance-approach goals) in relation to approaches to learning and learning outcomes. The results demonstrated that adopting single mastery goals is beneficial in promoting a deep approach to learning, GPA and perception of better development of generic skills.

Overall, the present study has demonstrated that the inclusion of achievement goals in the SAL perspectives provides a more comprehensive picture of the learning process among university students. To promote better learning outcomes, instructors should emphasize on understanding rather than memorization, develop mastery of knowledge and skills as their purpose for learning, avoid heavy workload, and enhance their teaching by adopting strategies such as explaining things clearly, providing helpful feedback and understanding the difficulties that students have in their learning.