Conceptions of learning factors in postgraduate health sciences master students: a comparative study with non-health science students and between genders

Fernando Campos,Miguel Alaminos,Víctor Carriel,Ariane Ruyffelaert,Juan De Dios Luna-Del-Castillo,Ingrid Garzón,Miguel Ángel Martin-Piedra,Miguel Sola,Antonio Santisteban-Espejo,Antonio Campos-Sánchez

doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1227-x

Fernando Campos, Miguel Alaminos + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1227-x

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Abstract

BackgroundThe students’ conceptions of learning in postgraduate health science master studies are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare the factors influencing conceptions of learning in health sciences and non-health sciences students enrolled in postgraduate master programs in order to obtain information that may be useful for students and for future postgraduate programs.MethodsA modified version of the Learning Inventory Conception Questionnaire (COLI) was used to compare students’ conception learning factors in 131 students at the beginning of their postgraduate studies in health sciences, experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences.ResultsThe present study demonstrates that a set of factors may influence conception of learning of health sciences postgraduate students, with learning as gaining information, remembering, using, and understanding information, awareness of duty and social commitment being the most relevant. For these students, learning as a personal change, a process not bound by time or place or even as acquisition of professional competences, are less relevant. According to our results, this profile is not affected by gender differences.ConclusionsOur results show that the overall conceptions of learning differ among students of health sciences and non-health sciences (experimental sciences, arts and humanities and social sciences) master postgraduate programs. These finding are potentially useful to foster the learning process of HS students, because if they are metacognitively aware of their own conception or learning, they will be much better equipped to self-regulate their learning behavior in a postgraduate master program in health sciences.

Highlights

The students’ conceptions of learning in postgraduate health science master studies are poorly understood
Six main factors have been identified and considered as the best model to interpret conceptions of learning for students coming from several cultural groups [8]: (a) gaining information; (b) remembering, using, and understanding information; (c) a duty; (d) personal change; (e) a process not bound by time or place and (f ) social competence
Analysis of the average results obtained for each factor showed that the students rated with the highest values the items included in the PROC factor, whereas the lowest values were found for the DUTY factor (5.13 ± 1.15)

Summary

Introduction

The students’ conceptions of learning in postgraduate health science master studies are poorly understood. Six main factors have been identified and considered as the best model to interpret conceptions of learning for students coming from several cultural groups [8]: (a) gaining information; (b) remembering, using, and understanding information; (c) a duty; (d) personal change; (e) a process not bound by time or place and (f ) social competence. According to their different conceptions of learning, students would design their own strategy in relation to the objectives and teaching skills they should achieve [8, 13]. Several studies have demonstrated that teachers’ conceptions of learning affect, indirectly, students’ learning outcomes [16,17,18]

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