Changing students' approaches to learning: a two‐year study within a university teacher training course

Abstract

Inciting a deep approach to learning in students is difficult. The present research poses two questions: can a constructivist learning‐assessment environment change students' approaches towards a more deep approach? What effect does additional feedback have on the changes in learning approaches? Two cohorts of students completed questionnaires measuring their approaches to learning in a pre‐test post‐test design. The constructivist learning environments in both conditions differed in the amount of feedback students received. Paired‐sample t‐tests indicated that students did not change their approach towards a more deep approach. Multiple regression analysis on deep approach on the post‐test showed no effect for change in learning environment. This indicates that little alterations in the learning‐assessment environment do not modify students' approaches to learning.

Keywords:

• approaches to learning
• teacher training
• feedback
• constructivist learning environments