Abstract
Students’ conceptions of learning represent an influential factor for learning, yet the few existing studies used measures with limited validity and lacked to provide a model for middle school students. This research aimed to provide a preliminary validation of ‘Learning Conception Questionnaire’ (LCQ) by Liverta Sempio and Marchetti (2001) aimed to measure conceptions of learning in a holistic way by including belief, academic emotion, and causal attributions. In the current study, the factor structure was tested in a sample of 212 middle school students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFAs) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFAs) showed that the factor structure of the comprehensive measure of conceptions of learning used could be described across three domains (Belief: Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = .98, Standardised Root Mean Square Residual [SRMR] = .06; Emotions: CFI = .89, SRMR = .07; Causal attribution: CFI = .92, SRMR = .06), with significant relationships. Implications and future ways of research were discussed. Keywords : academic emotion; belief; causal attribution; statistical validation; students’ conceptions of learning
Highlights
The Investigation on Students’ Conceptions of Learning: A Research Field of Priority for the Education Policy Agendas The process of learning represents a change of perspective in observing the surrounding world (Ramsden, 2003)
Research Questions and Hypotheses With this study, we aimed to provide a preliminary validation of the self-report ‘Learning Conception Questionnaire’ (LCQ; Liverta Sempio & Marchetti, 2001) in a sample of middle school students
The variance explained by the first factor was equal to 14.6% and of 7.5% for the second dimension of the ‘Beliefs’ section
Summary
The Investigation on Students’ Conceptions of Learning: A Research Field of Priority for the Education Policy Agendas The process of learning represents a change of perspective in observing the surrounding world (Ramsden, 2003). One other major field of research addressing these aims was the investigation on what students think about and approach to the learning process that denote the field of research on ‘conceptions of learning’ dating back to the pioneering works of Marton and Säaljö (1976) The literature recognised these to be important factors affecting learning processes (Chiou, Lee & Tsai, 2013; Sadi & Lee, 2015), through their effect on motivation and learning strategies (Vermunt & Vermetten, 2004), while indirectly influencing the quality of learning and academic performance (Cano, 2005; McLean, 2001). Very few studies have considered middle school students as an important sample to investigate conceptions of learning (Berry & Sahlberg, 1996; Pérez-Tello, Antonietti, Sempio Liverta & Marchetti, 2005). Conceptions of learning have been investigated across ages and school grades, showing a developmental trend from the early predisposition to make sense to the surrounding world (see for example Gopnik, 2012), and through several cultures (Cantoia, Giordanelli, Pérez-Tello & Antonietti, 2011), discovering the deep connection
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