The Relevance of Learning Approaches and the Temporal Perspective for Test-Taking

Andreja Bubić

doi:10.26529/cepsj.586

Abstract

Test-taking is an integral part of students’ lives, and the way they approach tests may be of high relevance for their academic outcomes. Therefore, the present study addressed the way college students reflect on the process of preparing for tests. Specifically, it investigated the relevance of students' achievement goals, perceived academic control, and consideration of future consequences for several aspects of the test-taking process. The results obtained revealed mastery goals, perceived academic control, and the ability to disengage from the present moment as significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with knowledge. Furthermore, higher success optimism was associated with having higher perceived academic control, more pronounced mastery goals, less pronounced social solidarity goals, and a higher tendency to focus on the future, whereas perceived academic control was revealed to be a significant predictor of the perceived ease of preparing for tests.

Highlights

Obtaining a college degree is a process that involves learning and participating in various academic activities and demonstrating the acquired knowledge and skills that is typically accomplished through various forms of evaluative events, namely tests
It investigated the relevance of students’ achievement goals, perceived academic control and consideration of future consequences for their evaluations of the test-taking process, namely the p e r c e i v e d e a s e o f p r e p a r i n g f o r t e s ts, s a ti s f a c t i o n w it h k n o w l edge acquired while learning for tests, as well as optimism regarding success in completing future tests
T h e r e s u l t s o b ta i n e d id e n t if i e d p e r c e i v e d a c a d e m ic c o n trol, mastery achievement goals, and the ability to disengage from the present moment as significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with knowledge

Summary

Introduction

Obtaining a college degree is a process that involves learning and participating in various academic activities and demonstrating the acquired knowledge and skills that is typically accomplished through various forms of evaluative events, namely tests. The self-reflection phase (Zimmerman, 1998, 2000) is a vital part of the test-taking process because, it may not influence the outcomes of completed tests, this period can provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their previous behaviours and learning During this time, learners’ satisfaction with the acquired knowledge and the achieved grades, as well as their perception of actions undertaken while preparing for tests, may provide strong motivation and guidance for changing future behaviours. Learners’ satisfaction with the acquired knowledge and the achieved grades, as well as their perception of actions undertaken while preparing for tests, may provide strong motivation and guidance for changing future behaviours This phase offers students a unique opportunity to develop deeper metacognitive insights (Brown, 1978; Flavell, 1979; Veenman et al, 2006) that may allow them to accomplish more favourable outcomes in the future. It is crucial to better understand students’ considerations of their behaviours and performance during this phase, as well as factors that influence these

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Results

Conclusion