‘Revisiting’ the South Pacific approaches to learning: a confirmatory factor analysis study

Abstract

There has been substantial research evidence concerning the learning approaches of students in Western and non‐Western contexts. Nonetheless, it has been a decade since research in the South Pacific was conducted on the learning approaches of tertiary students. The present research examined the learning approaches of Fijian and other Pacific Islands students enrolling in a professional‐based education course at the University of the South Pacific. Biggs’ (1987) Study Process Questionnaire was revised to suit the social and cultural contexts before it was distributed among 159 undergraduate students. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis did not support the theoretical framework of a three‐factor model (Biggs, 1987) and, instead, indicated the existence of a two first‐factor model, emphasising two major types of learning approach – reproducing and meaning (Richardson, 1994). The study’s findings suggest that educators should ensure that assessment and other teaching learning components are aligned constructively to promote the appropriate approach of learning.

Keywords:

• confirmatory factor analysis
• cultural and social contexts
• learning approaches
• pedagogies
• South Pacific
• tertiary students

Acknowledgements

We express our sincere appreciation to Professor T. Velayutham for providing us with critical feedback and valuable suggestions. We also express our gratitude to Mr Jagdish Prasad, who assisted in administering the questionnaires. We thank all the students who kindly contributed in our research efforts. Finally, our thanks to the three anonymous reviewers for their comments and helpful suggestions.