Adding Voices to Physical Sciences Preservice Teachers’ Approaches to Learning

Figures & data

Table 1. Approaches to learning and corresponding constructs

Approach	Constructs
Deep	Meaning seeking (to gain a deep understanding of ideas) Relation of ideas (to prior knowledge and experience) Use of evidence (looking for patterns and underlying principles) Interest in learning the subject content
Strategic	Organised (systematic organisation of studying) Time and effort management Alertness to assessment demands and criteria Achievement of good grades Monitoring of the effectiveness of study methods
Surface	Lack of purpose (seeing little value in the course and assessment tasks) Unrelated memorising (routinely memorising facts and procedures) Syllabus-boundness (a narrow focus on the minimum course requirements) Fear of failure (feeling undue pressure and anxiety about academic work)

Adapted from Entwistle and Peterson (2004, p. 415).

Table 2. Rubric for profiling PSTs’ approaches to learning

Resultant approach	Possible combination of mean agreement scores (deep, strategic, surface)
Deep	HMM, HML, HLL, HMV, HVM, HVV, MLL, MLV, MVV, LVV
Strategic	MHM, MHL, LHM, LHL, VHL, VHV, LHV, LML, LMV, VML, VMV, VLV
Surface	MMH, MLH, LMH, LLH, VLH, LVH, VVH, LLM, LVM, VLM, VVM, VVL
Deep-strategic	HHM, HHL, HHV, MML, MMV, LLV
Dissonant	HHH, HMH, HVH, MMM, MLM, MVM, LLL, VVV

Description of mean agreement scores: high (H); medium (M); low (L); very low (V).

Table 3. Frequency of approaches and examples

Approach to learning	Frequency (%)	Exemplar PST	Mean agreement scores			Profile of exemplar PST
	(n = 94)		Deep	Strategic	Surface
Deep	13 (14%)	PST301	4.13	3.90	2.63	HML
Strategic	12 (13%)	PST302	3.81	4.15	3.31	MHM
Surface	5 (5%)	PST331	2.88	2.05	3.69	LLM
Deep- strategic	20 (21%)	PST381	4.25	4.30	2.94	HHL
Dissonant	44 (47%)	PST384	4.06	3.95	4.13	HMH

Mean agreement scale: 1–1.99 = very low; 2.00–2.99 = low; 3.00–3.99 = moderate; 4.00–5.00 = high.

Entwistle, N.J., & Peterson, E.R. (2004). Conceptions of learning and knowledge in higher education: Relationships with study behaviour and influences of learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 41, 407–428. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2005.08.009

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