University Students’ Approaches to Studying and their Academic Achievement
Keywords:
Surface approach to studying, strategic approach to studying, deep approach to studying, academic achievement, study approach profiles.Abstract
The major purpose of this study was to examine Mizan-Tepi University
Students’ approaches to studying. Questionnaire and interview were used to gather
data from a sample of 220 (103 male and 117 female) second year students.
Factor analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, ANOVA and regression
analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data. Factor analysis indicated three
major components (deep, surface and strategic) of the students’ approaches to
studying. Cluster analysis revealed four study approach profiles: very poor (very low
deep and strategic, and very high surface), poor (low deep and strategic, and high
surface), moderate (average deep and strategic, and high surface) and good (very
high deep and strategic, and very low surface) quality study approach groups. Most
female students were found to adopt very poor quality study approaches. Students
in the good quality study approach profile were noted to be the most academically
successful. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings were discussed.