Abstract
This paper explores the use of surface and deep learning strategies of students in two Colleges of Education within Mampong Municipality: St. Monica's College (Single-Sex College-Female) and Mampong Technical College (Single-Sex College-Male) who were enrolled to read a Four-Year Bachelor of Education programme. Drawing on Biggs et al.'s Revised Study Questionnaire (2001), the study investigates whether student-teachers adopt a predominantly surface or deep learning approach to their studies for the New B. Ed. programme introduced into the Colleges of Education. From February to April 2021, we employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 332 participants (level 200 and 300) who were enrolled to study the four-year B. Ed. programme which was introduced in 2018. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were used to examine participants' age, sex and level of study in correlation with their learning approaches (Deep or Surface). A significant difference in the Deep learning approach was found between males and females in both schools (p = 0.47). However, there was no significant difference between age, level and learning approach. Their responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings suggest that student-teachers appear to adopt deep learning strategies in their studies at Colleges of Education and that this approach to learning was used regardless of the discipline in which they were enrolled.
Highlights
The approaches to students’ learning have been extensively studied over decades which is not a new conversation (Biggs, 1970, 1978, 1987; Entwistle, 1970; Marton & Saljo, 1976; Dansereau, 1978; Gardener, 1992; Kolb, 1984, 2012; Case & Marshall, 2009; Cano & Berbén, 2009)
The students engaged in deep learning because of the passion they possess in understanding the courses they study, teaching strategies adopted by course lecturers and how they translate the knowledge to solve personal and societal problems
Significant differences existed between sex and the learning approach
Summary
The approaches to students’ learning have been extensively studied over decades which is not a new conversation (Biggs, 1970, 1978, 1987; Entwistle, 1970; Marton & Saljo, 1976; Dansereau, 1978; Gardener, 1992; Kolb, 1984, 2012; Case & Marshall, 2009; Cano & Berbén, 2009). The presage variables (PV) are the prior experiences learners bring into the learning environment which is being propelled by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Several pieces of research have indicated that the learning environment alone can compel a student to adopt a Deep Learning Approach (DLA) or Surface Learning Approach SLA (Bonsaksen et al, 2017; Desierto et al, 2018; Ellis & Bliuc, 2019; Uiboleht et al, 2018; Beattie et al, 1997; Biggs et al, 2001; Ames et al, 1992; Ramsden et al, 1997, 2003, 2008; Alom et al, 2018; Delgado et al, 2018)
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