A multiple cross-cultural comparison of approaches to learning

Abstract

This study compares learning approaches of local English-speaking students and students from Asian countries studying at an Australian metropolitan university. The sample consists of students across 13 different countries. Unlike previous studies, students from Asian countries are subdivided into two categories: students from Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC) and students from Asia-based non-Confucian Heritage Cultures (non-CHC). The rich diversity of student background enables meaningful comparison between cultural groups. There are three key findings. Firstly, CHC and non-CHC students are more likely to adopt a deep learning approach than local English-speaking (LES) students. Secondly, CHC students show a strong tendency to simultaneously adopt surface and deep approaches to learning. This tendency also exists with non-CHC students, albeit not as strongly as in as the former group. The LES students show the least tendency to adopt this mixed approach. Thirdly, memorisation appears correlated with deep learning across all three groups. The study is exploratory in nature but, if confirmed with larger samples, points to the need for further research beyond the traditional focus on CHC students on the role that memorisation and culture play in learning.