Student approaches to learning

Student Approaches to Learning is the theory that students will take a different approach to how they study depending on the perceived objectives of the course they are studying. This theory was developed from the clinical studies of Educational Psychologists Ference Marton and Roger Säljö who found that students could be divided into two distinct groups, those that took an understanding approach to learning and those that took a reproduction approach to learning.[1] These are more commonly referred to as deep and surface approaches to learning.

In this study students read a 1,500 word article on which they were questioned by an interviewer. In the interviews students were asked about what they remembered, how they felt about the task and how they approached the task. Analysis of the interviews showed that students could be divided into two groups:

  1. Surface learners were characterized by focusing on parts of the article to memorize that they might be questioned on
  2. Deep learners engaged in an active search for meaning

These findings were corroborated by the laboratory studies of Pask and co-workers.[2] Pask referred to the two different learning strategies that he had found as "serialists" and "holists". Serialists look at the detail and steps in the argument and appear to be a sophisticated surface approach. Holists have a broad focus and see the task in context, using analogies and illustrations.

Learning Approaches and Phenomenography

Marton has also been involved in the development of Phenomenography research, but this should be distinguished from the simpler model of student approaches to learning. Phenomenography aims to produce a detailed understanding of people's experiences and thoughts (in this case the students), student approaches to learning examines how this behavior manifests itself in the approach the student takes.

Learning Approaches vs Learning Styles

Learning approaches are not the same as learning styles. Students can use different learning approaches for different tasks. These are not inherent personality traits and they are produced by the interaction of the student with the learning tasks.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ Marton F. and Säljö R. (1976) On qualitative differences in learning. I – Outcome and Process’ British Journal of Educational Psychology 46, pp. 4-11.
  2. ^ Pask G.(1976) Styles and Strategies of Learning British Journal of Educational Psychology 46, pp. 128-148.
  3. ^ Laurillard D. (1979) The Process of Student Learning Higher Education 8, pp. 395-409.
  4. ^ Laurillard D. (1997) Ch. 11 in F. Marton, D. Hounsell, and N. Entwistle, The Experience of Learning: Implications for Teaching and Studying in Higher Education (Edinburgh, Scottish Academic Press).