Approaches And Study Skills Inventory For Students Research Articles

The Short Version of Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Vietnamese Nursing Students

Students’ academic performance is substantially influenced by their learning approaches, which reflect their intentions when confronted with a learning situation and the corresponding strategies they employ to fulfil these intentions. Since there was no validated questionnaire that aimed to assess students’ learning approaches in the context of Vietnam, the purpose of this study is to validate a Vietnamese short version of the approaches and study skills inventory for students (ASSIST). A cross-sectional study involved translation and validation with a group of Vietnamese undergraduate nursing students. This questionnaire was translated by two independent bilingual experts and reviewed by a team of two other experts. To test the internal reliability, Cronbach’s alpha was used with 102 nursing students in a nursing school. Regarding construct validity, the study checked whether the original three subscales fit the data by using confirmatory factor analysis in a group of 1340 nursing students from ten nursing schools across Vietnam. The result indicated that the internal consistency of the Vietnamese ASSIST short version was good; Cronbach’s alpha of the total scale was 0.89. Cronbach’s alphas for deep, strategic, and surface approaches were 0.82, 0.89, and 0.70, respectively. By using confirmatory factor analysis, the model of three subscales showed a moderate fit (X2/df = 7.097, p<0.01, CFI = 0.927, TLI = 0.886, and RMSEA = 0.067). As such, this finding supported the proposed three-factor structure of the short version of ASSIST in the context of Vietnam, which will be a useful tool for educators and educational institutions to assess students’ learning approaches initially.

Measuring change within next‐generation agricultural and natural resources professionals

AbstractA dynamic and diverse workforce of agricultural professionals and scientists is needed to develop sustainable and innovative solutions for the challenges of food production for a growing population under the threat of climate extremes. One path to developing workforce talent is through summer research and extension experiences. The Applied Plant Systems (APS) Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEUs) program provided 23 undergraduates a pathway to work with agricultural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through plant and soil sciences research and extension programs. To develop the professional skills of interns and guide self‐reflection, weekly Think Tank Sessions were organized to focus on teamwork, time management, decision‐making, and systems thinking. To assess variation in the students’ approach to their work, the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was incorporated into program evaluation. Using a pre–post design, students’ agreement with statements reflecting a deep, strategic, or surface approach to their work was measured. T‐tests revealed significant increases in mean scores for subscales measuring Deep Approach, one subscale measuring Strategic Approach, and the subscale measuring fear of failure to reflect the Surface Approach. Increased fear of failure scores may be explained by new experiences working with research, peers, and mentors. Eight of 23 students who participated in a follow‐up survey after the conclusion of the program reported increased knowledge of agricultural careers. Results provided evidence that the APS experience increased student confidence in facing challenges that require deeper and strategic thinking and elevated their attention to monitoring the effectiveness of their decisions and skills.

Learning Approaches Adopted by Preservice Teachers

Knowledge about the learning approaches is very critical for teachers in planning teaching-learning activities. Learners relate their previous experiences in learning new concepts. Then, the type of learning approach adopted by the learner will enable him/her to interact with course material and attain learning outcomes. According to the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), the learners follow deep, surface, or strategic learning approaches or a combination of two or all three of them. The present study is a survey type wherein the 18-item questionnaire, a short version of ASSIST is administered to the undergraduate (BEd) and postgraduate (MEd) students (preservice teachers) of the University College of Education, Osmania University, Hyderabad. Forty students responded to the inventory. Data is analysed with Cronbach’s Alpha, coefficient of correlation, t-test, and ANOVA. T-test for learning approaches and gender (2.024); coefficient of correlation for academic achievement and deep approach and strategic approach (.503); strong relationship with SGPA 8.00 for Surface approach, 9.00 for Deep approach and 6.00 for Strategic approach. Age and learning approach ANOVA is .833 and BEd second-semester preservice teachers adhered to a deep approach. The study concludes that the deep approach is the most popular learning approach; the learning approach affects academic achievement, gender, and level of semesters of study of the preservice teachers and does not affect approaches to learning

Learning Approaches: Cross-Cultural Differences (Spain-Argentina) and Academic Achievement in College Students.

Learning approaches describe the students' degree of cognitive commitment to learning in diverse types of academic tasks and educational environments. Even though from a micro-level perspective different profiles of approaches have been identified in high-achievement undergraduates attending several majors, such profiles have not been examined from a macro-level approach in terms of distinct educational cultures. Therefore, the research involved two studies conducted on undergraduates from Argentina and Spain: The first one was aimed at analyzing the psychometric features of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) whereas the second was focused on examining the learning approaches profiles of high and low achievers attending the same major (Psychology) in two different educational cultures (Spain and Argentina). The scale's original internal structure, examined on a sample of 400 participants (50% Spanish), was verified except for one item, which was fatherly eliminated. The resulting structure was tested and proven verified in a new sample (N = 1,334; 58.3% Spanish) by confirmatory factor analysis, factorial invariance, and internal consistency studies. External validity evidence was examined as well. Additionally, norms to be used in the professional field were calculated.Profiles of learning approaches by academic achievement from each country were examined by latent class analysis. In both cases, high achievers reported higher and more frequent use of the Deep and Strategic approaches and lower and less frequent usage of the Surface one. Further studies should replicate these analyses in undergraduates attending other majors in order to test the hypothesis sustaining these findings' generalization.

UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS’ APPROACHES TO LEARNING ANATOMY: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Approaches to learning are the thinking process used for getting, arranging, and recalling the information more effectively. Sound knowledge of Anatomy is mandatory for practicing safely and efficiently in almost all clinical specialties. Aim of this study was to explore the learning approaches proved to be most popular among the undergraduate medical students for the subject of Anatomy in our institution.
 METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Anatomy Department, Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical College, Lahore. 100 students from first year & 98 students from second year MBBS were included. Participation was purely on voluntary basis. Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used to categorize students’ learning approaches towards anatomy as surface, deep or strategic. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Shapiro Wilk test was used to check the normality of the data. Data was normally distributed. Scoring for three learning approaches was described by using mean ± SD. P- Value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
 RESULTS: Overall, 116 (58.9%) students practiced deep approach, 53 (26.9%) students practiced strategic approach and only 28 (14.2%) showed surface approach. No significant difference was found in practicing different learning approaches between first-year and second-year students.Deep learning approach towards anatomy was the most frequently adopted approach by both male as well as female students.
 Conclusion:
 Majority of the students showed predominant deep approach towards learning Anatomy, followed by the students having predominant strategic learning approach. There is still room for improvement in the quest to foster deep learning among students by the development of competent & skillful faculty and improving our assessment tools aligned with the learning outcomes.

Öğrenme Yaklaşımları ve Çalışma Becerileri Ölçeğinin Türk Örneklemi Üzerinde Psikometrik Değerlendirmesi

This study aims to analyze the factor structure of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) by adapting the second part, which consists of five-point Likert scale, 52 items, and 3 factors (deep, strategic, surface), in Turkish. For this purpose, firstly one of the authors, Noel Entwistle, was contacted via email, and the necessary permission was received regarding the adaptation of the scale. The English and Turkish versions of the scale, which was translated into Turkish with the help of English and Turkish language experts, were applied to Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) English Language Teacher Education students (N = 46) one week apart, and it was determined that there was high correlation (r = .805, p=.05) between the scores of the students from both applications. Then, for examining the factor structures of the scale, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed with the data collected from 421 students who are studying at DEU and taking a basic physics course. It was determined that, by removing 5 items with factor loadings below .4 and the difference between factor loadings less than 0.1 from the scale, the scale could be collected under 3 factors compatible with the original factor structure. The scale was subjected to Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in order to test the compatibility of the three-factor structure of the scale determined by EFA. As a result of CFA, it was determined that the three-factor structure has sufficient compatibility with our data set (χ2/sd=1.96, RMSEA=.072; CFI=.82, GFI=.78, NFI=.88). Besides, the scale was subjected to discriminant analysis in order to determine how successful the ASSIST was in separating the learning approaches of students and to determine the discriminant functions. With Quadratic Discriminant Analysis, it was concluded that a student assigned to one of the 3 sub-dimensions in the scale could be considered significantly separated from other sub-dimensions, and thus the learning approaches of the students could be determined successfully.

Limited usefulness of learning style instruments in advancing teaching and learning

Learning style inventories have been extensively used by management scholars to understand the different ways in which students process information and respond to academic tasks. However, the implications of these studies on teaching, learning, and research are largely unknown. This review analysed and critiqued 78 empirical studies adopting one or more learning style instruments. The findings were fourfold: (1) the effects of environmental factors on style preferences have rarely been considered, and the interpretation of learning styles is often decontextualised; (2) researchers attempted to transform students into more balanced learners, although there was no evidence that individuals with a balanced learning style outperformed their counterparts who possessed a single, dominant style; (3) there was no concrete evidence that matching teaching to students’ dominant learning styles contributed to learning; and (4) studies employing the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) and Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) showed relatively consistent results, but more research is required to understand their correlations with other personal and environmental factors. Overall, learning style inventories demonstrated limited usefulness in advancing teaching and learning in management education. Practical implications and future research directions are provided based on the discussion of key findings.

Students’ Approaches to Learning in Agricultural Higher Education

An Expost facto research design was adopted to understand the learning approaches of agricultural students (deep, strategic, and surface) and the data were collected randomly from 1514 students of Indian agricultural higher education institutions using the ‘Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST)’ instrument. The predominant learning approach adopted by the agricultural students was found to be ‘strategic’ (41.1%), followed by ‘deep’ (40.3 %) and ‘surface’ (15.5 %) approaches. No significant association (Chi-square statistic = 24.106, p=0.156) was found in the student learning approaches across the disciplines, while significant difference (t-statistic=2.248, p=0.028) was found between graduate and undergraduate students in case of ‘deep approach’. Gender had a significant association (Chi-square statistic =14.817, p<0.001) with the students’ learning approaches, especially in ‘strategic’ and ‘surface’ approaches. The paper calls for more systematic and effective teaching-learning and assessment strategies to enhance agricultural higher education quality.

PERBANDINGAN PENDEKATAN BELAJAR (LEARNING APPROACHES) MAHASISWA TAHUN PERTAMA DAN TAHUN KETIGA FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS UDAYANA

Learning approach is a method applied by individuals in studying material to achieve learning outcomes. Learning approaches can be classified into surface, deep, and strategic learning approach. Changes in the learning environment may affect the learning process of a student. This is prone to occur in first-year medical students who are experiencing a transition from high school education to university. The purpose of this study was to explore the comparison of the learning approaches used by first and third-year medical students. This study is an analytical study with a cross-sectional approach using the Indonesian version of The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire. The sample collection technique used random sampling method with a sample size of 216 students. The collected data were analyzed in univariate and bivariate ways using a computer program. Respondents ranging from 18 to 22 years old and most of them were females (66.2%). First-year student respondents were 106 people (49.1%) and third-year students were 110 people (50.9%). Comparative analysis for categorical data was carried out using the chi-square test and obtained p-value = 0.011 (p <0.05), indicates that there is a significant difference between the types of learning approaches of first and third-year medical students. Third-year students were found to have a deep learning approach dominantly, while first-year students have a surface learning approach dominantly. Further research related to learning approaches should be carried out as a contribution to the curriculum formation process and may encourage students to adopt a good learning approach.

Study of medical students' learning approaches and their association with academic performance and problem-solving styles

Learners have various processing and understanding of the environment and issues and choose different strategies for problem-solving considering learning and studying approaches. The purpose of this study was to examine medical students' learning approaches and their association with academic performance and problem-solving styles. This study was conducted using the descriptive-correlational method. The statistical population comprised medical students of Iran University of Medical Sciences during the academic year of 2019-2020. Of them, 168 subjects were chosen based on simple random sampling and Morgan Table. Study tools include the Standard Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) Questionnaire, which includes 18 items and a Likert five-choice spectrum, and includes a deep, superficial, and strategic approach. Its reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha of 0.81. Problem-Solving Style Questionnaire developed by Cassidy and Long was used. This instrument included 24 items and 6 components, and its reliability equaled 0.83, which was their grade point average. Data were analyzed using normality tests, paired t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression through SPSS 16 software. Results implied the positive and significant relationship between deep-strategic approaches, problem-solving styles, and academic performance of medical students (P < 0.001); furthermore, there was no significant difference between learning approaches based on gender (P > 0.001), while there was a significant difference between two groups in terms of problem-solving styles (P < 0.001). Because deep and strategic approaches predict academic performance and problem-solving styles, the diagnostic assessment must be done at the beginning of the educational process to determine the type of learners' approaches. Such an evaluation can be used to implement instructional strategies and educational designs to improve the academic performance of students.

Association Between Learning Approaches and Medical Student Academic Progression During Preclinical Training.

PurposeStudents have diverse learning preferences that can impact the achievement of learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of unequivocal evidence for an association between the learning preferences and academic success. The purpose of the study was to examine the association between learning approaches and academic success of medical students during the basic science curriculum.MethodsIn this cross-sectional comparative study, low-achieving (n=80) and high-achieving students (n=50) from semesters 1 through 3 of the Ross University School of Medicine’s basic science curriculum completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) short-form to provide data on their learning approaches. Student’s-t test was applied to find statistical differences in learning approaches of low and high achievers, and point-biserial was used to analyze the correlation between academic performance and learning approaches. Mean sum scores with standard deviation on ASSIST short-form scales (deep, surface, and strategic approaches) as well as subscales are reported.ResultsHigh-achieving students reported a preference for using deep and strategic learning approaches compared to low-achieving students (p < 0.05). Low achievers indicated that they predominantly used the surface approach to learning (p<0.05). Yet, “fear of failure,” a subscale of the surface approach, was greater among high achievers. Additionally, significant gender differences were found on subscales of “lack of purpose,” “syllabus bound,” “unrelated memorization” (surface approach), and “time management” and “organized studying” (strategic approach).ConclusionOur results suggest that low-achieving medical students’ predominant reliance on the surface approach to learning may affect their academic success and that it may be worthwhile to help medical students become aware of the effectiveness of their individual preferred learning approaches early on in their training. Identification and adoption of optimal learning approaches should increase the achievement of successful learning outcomes.

COMPARISON OF LEARNING APPROACHES AMONG FIRST AND THIRD YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS IN MEDICAL FACULTY UDAYANA UNIVERSITY

Learning approach is a method applied by individuals in studying material to achieve learning outcomes. Learning approaches can be classified into surface, deep, and strategic learning approach. Changes in the learning environment may affect the learning process of a student. This is prone to occur in first-year medical students who are experiencing a transition from high school education to university. The purpose of this study was to explore the comparison of the learning approaches used by first and third-year medical students. This study is an analytical study with a cross-sectional approach using the Indonesian version of The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire. The sample collection technique used random sampling method with a sample size of 216 students. The collected data were analyzed in univariate and bivariate ways using a computer program. Respondents ranging from 18 to 22 years old and most of them were females (66.2%). First-year student respondents were 106 people (49.1%) and third-year students were 110 people (50.9%). Comparative analysis for categorical data was carried out using the chi-square test and obtained p-value = 0.011 (p &lt;0.05), indicates that there is a significant difference between the types of learning approaches of first and third-year medical students. Third-year students were found to have a deep learning approach dominantly, while first-year students have a surface learning approach dominantly. Further research related to learning approaches should be carried out as a contribution to the curriculum formation process and may encourage students to adopt a good learning approach

Relationship between Learning Approaches and Academic Performance of Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kermanshah, Iran

Background. Learning approaches are a set of skills and strategies used by learners to organize and recall the content. Teachers can adopt appropriate teaching methods if they know the students’ learning approaches. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance of dental student. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 128 dental students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences were recruited by the stratified random sampling method. The data collection tools were a demographic information form and Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). To determine academic performance, the grade point average (GPA) of the previous semester was used, and students with GPA scores ≤14.99 and ≥ 15 were divided into weak and strong groups, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS 17 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. The most common learning approach in most strong (n = 49, 45.4%) and weak (n = 12, 60%) students was the superficial approach. The results of the chi-square test did not show a statistically significant difference between strong and weak students in terms of the learning approach. Conclusion. The results did not show a statistically significant relationship between students’ learning approach and their academic performance. However, since the superficial approach can lead to a decline in academic performance, the professors need to take the necessary intervention measures to improve students’ learning approaches. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to shed more light on this research domain.

The implication of multicultural education on students' learning approaches in biosciences and pharmacy courses

PurposeThe globalisation of higher education has created new challenges for educators to remain dynamic in teaching science undergraduates with diverse cultural backgrounds. The current study explores this challenge by evaluating the different personal factors among biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates that affect their learning approaches as well as to identify course-specific teaching approaches in order to determine their impacts on students' learning.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey design based on study process questionnaire (SPQ), and approaches and study skills inventory for students (ASSIST) was utilised to collect quantitative data from 129 biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates.FindingsBiosciences undergraduates adopted deep and achieving learning approaches as they progressed through the curriculum, whilst surface learners dominated the pharmacy course. Ethnicity was shown to affect the learning approaches among the undergraduates. Although male undergraduates from both courses were more competitive than the female, elder female undergraduates tend to adopt deep learning approach. Pre-university qualifications did not significantly influence the undergraduate's learning approach. The contrasting finding on the preferred teaching approaches between biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates has highlighted the importance of providing tailored teaching and learning strategies to cater different students' learning needs.Originality/valueThis study has demonstrated the combinational use of SPQ and ASSIST instruments to compare undergraduate's learning approaches with preferred teaching approaches. The current finding could support the development of teaching and learning practice among the biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates with multicultural background.

EVALUATION OF COVID 19 IMPACT ON THE LEARNING STRATEGIES OF HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS: A SURVEY

Background: The lockdown period following the COVID 19 pandemic has affected students in many ways. The present study aims to investigate any changes in learning practice during this pandemic. We conducted this study to investigate any variations in the learning approach by health science students during the Covid 19 pandemic and also to assess possible confounding factors on learning. Methods: A survey was conducted on 630 health science students from South Indian states through 2 pre-validated questionnaires - Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD 7), to assess learning approach and anxiety levels respectively. Another set of questionnaire consisting 10 questions were prepared that may affect learning approach. These questionnaires were shared via Google forms across various health science institutions of South India. Results: A signicant decrease in strategic and deep learning scores and increase in surface learning scores were observed after Covid 19 pandemic. Anxiety scores were increased after pandemic. A signicant negative correlation was observed between change in deep learning scores vs change in anxiety scores and change in strategic scores vs change anxiety scores. A positive correlation was observed between change in surface learning scores vs anxiety scores. Decrease in strategic and deep learning scores were signicantly correlated with students perceptions on worsening study environment, decreased effectiveness of academic assessments, decreased time devoted for studies, decreased ability to gure out high yielding questions and a decreased ability to frame quality answers. Increase in surface learning negatively correlated with worsening study environment and decreased study time. A negative correlation was observed between suitable study environment and change in anxiety scores. Conclusion: Increased anxiety level was associated with decrease in deep and strategic learning and increase in surface learning approach after Covid 19 pandemic. Appropriate measures are essential to improve students' academic performance

Zimbabwean PreClinical Medical Students Use of Deep and Strategic Study Approaches to Learn Anatomy at Two New Medical Schools.

Anatomy is a challenging preclinical subject owing to the vast amount of information that students need to master. The adoption of relevant study approaches is key to the development of a long-lasting understanding of anatomical subject matter. Phenomenographic educational research describes the medical students as using a variable mix of deep, strategic, and surface approaches to study. Continually assessing students' learning preferences and approaches is crucial for achieving the desired learning outcomes. The approaches to studying anatomy in two groups of first-year Zimbabwean medical students from two newly established medical schools were collected using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) instrument and than analyzed. At least 90% of the students believed that anatomy involved reproducing knowledge or personal understanding and development. Overall, the majority of the students adopted deep and strategic approaches, while a distant minority used the surface approach. There was no significant correlation between either the students' sex or age and their preference for a specific approach to studying. The mean anatomy grades for students using a strategic approach were significantly higher than those using deep or surface approaches. The number of strategic learners was double that of deep learners among the high achievers subgroup. The strategic approach positively correlated with performance in examinations. Generally, the students shared a common understanding of the concept of anatomy learning. Studies such as this can assist with the identification of students at risk of failure and empower lecturers to recommend the adoption of more beneficial strategic and deep learner traits.

Relationship of Academic Vitality, Academic Self-efficacy, and Metacognitive Skills with Lifelong Learning Concerning Mediating role of Study Approaches

Background: Nowadays, learning is one of the most important factors in the lives of human beings. Lifelong learning and its effective variables are the topics of discussion in the contemporary era. In this regard, the present study was done to investigate the relationship between academic vitality, academic self-efficacy, and metacognitive skills, and lifelong learning concerning the mediating role of study approaches among students of Payame Noor University, Kangavar branch in the academic year 2016-2017. Methods: A random sampling method was used to select the participants. The sample size was determined to be 168 students. The required data were collected using the Academic Vitality Inventory, the Self-efficacy Scale, the Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), and the Lifelong Learning Inventory. In total, 128 questionnaires were completely filled out and collected. Results: The results were analyzed using the Pearson Correlation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using PLS and SPSS v. 20 software. The results showed that the model suitably fitted the data. The main research hypothesis was accepted at the 0.002 significance level. Academic self-efficacy, study approaches and skills, and metacognitive skills were directly correlated with lifelong learning (r=0.436, p=0.001). Conclusion: Education and emphasis on study give incentives for lifelong learning. In a normal situation, no relationship was found between lifelong learning and other factors.

Psychometric properties and associations between subscales of a study approach measure.

The purpose of this study was to (i) confirm the factor structure of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) in the current sample of undergraduate occupational therapy students and (ii) explore the pattern of associations between the 13 ASSIST subscales. Occupational therapy students (n = 171) across Norway completed the ASSIST. A three-factor structure was confirmed. Several positive associations were found between the deep and strategic approach subscales, whereas several surface approach subscales were negatively associated with the deep and strategic approach subscales. In conclusion, the study showed that the Norwegian ASSIST has a well-functioning three-factor structure in line with its theoretical underpinnings, and it can therefore readily be adopted as a study process measure in Norwegian occupational therapy education programs. In view of the associations between subscales, there is support for a higher-order concept of "productive" study approaches that encompasses both deep and strategic behaviors. The analysis of associations also suggests that students demonstrating unproductive study behaviors may need guidance and intervention that extends beyond the first detected problematic behavior.

Approaches to Studying: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Occupational Therapy Students in Six Education Programs in Norway

Students’ approaches to studying have been associated with their academic performance. Although previous research suggests that the cultural and educational context may influence approaches to studying, few studies have investigated differences in study approaches across education programs. The aim of this study was to examine whether approaches to studying differed among occupational therapy students enrolled in six different educational programs in Norway. From a population of 308 students, 187 first-year occupational therapy students in six educational programs in Norway were recruited. The students provided their sociodemographic information and completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), and group differences were analyzed with Chi-square tests and one-way analyses of variance. Scores on the deep and surface approach scales did not differ significantly among the students in the six educational programs, while there was an overall difference in scores on the strategic approach scale. Group differences regarding the subscales were minor, and only a few of the pairwise differences reached statistical significance. Differences at the education program level appear not to be important for the interpretation of differences in study approaches among students.

Effect of Learning and Teaching Preference Approaches on Academic Performance among Malaysian Accounting Students

Academic performance is an important indicator of a student's achievement in accomplishing educational objectives specifically for learning and teaching. Many factors have been linked to academic performance; however, there are inconclusive results over as to whether individual factor contributes the most effect. In pursuit of this, the study aims to decipher students' academic performance in relation to learning and teaching preference approaches. 324 sets of a questionnaire were randomly sent to first year undergraduate accounting students. From this amount, 263 students responded, contributing to 81.2 percent rate of response. The study adapted the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire that identify three learning approaches (deep, strategic and surface), two teaching preference approaches (deep and surface) and academic performance achievements. Data were analysed using Sequential Equation Modelling (SEM) with Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) version two. Results indicate that learning approaches had a significant effect on academic performance in which strategic had the most effect, followed by deep and surface. In contrast, teaching preference approaches did not have any effect on academic performance. An understanding of the magnitude of effect of learning and teaching preference approaches at the early phase would assist the students, educators and institutions to optimize the best approach and eventually expedite Malaysian education quality to be on par with other developed nations in pursuit of academic excellence.