scholarly journals Textbook Use and Learning: A North American Perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regan A.R. Gurung ◽  
R. Eric Landrum ◽  
David B. Daniel

Eight hundred and ninety students at 35 US institutions of higher education participated in a comprehensive study of textbook use and its relation to ratings of textbook quality and helpfulness, a student self-report of learning, student self-report of their deep approach to learning, student perceptions of instructors, and a measure of quiz performance. Intercorrelations between key measures revealed surprising relationships about the influence of these variables on self-reported learning and quiz performance. An analysis of textbook differences revealed some significant differences between the books in terms of quality and helpfulness as well as self-reported learning, but not on quiz performance. The authors identified significant predictors of self-reported learning (deep approach and student perceptions of instructor) and quiz performance (grade point average and textbook helpfulness). These results highlight the complexity of examining student learning and suggest some important variables and problems for future research especially the need for a valid, reliable, measure of learning.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan Gasevic ◽  
Jelena Jovanovic ◽  
Abelardo Pardo ◽  
Shane Dawson

The use of analytic methods for extracting learning strategies from trace data has attracted considerable attention in the literature. However, there is a paucity of research examining any association between learning strategies extracted from trace data and responses to well-established self-report instruments and performance scores. This paper focuses on the link between the learning strategies identified in the trace data and student reported approaches to learning. The paper reports on the findings of a study conducted in the scope of an undergraduate engineering course (N=144) that followed a flipped classroom design. The study found that learning strategies extracted from trace data can be interpreted in terms of deep and surface approaches to learning. The detected significant links with self-report measures are with small effect sizes for both the overall deep approach to learning scale and the deep strategy scale. However, there was no observed significance linking the surface approach to learning and surface strategy nor were there significant associations with motivation scales of approaches to learning. The significant effects on academic performance were found, and consistent with the literature that used self-report instruments showing that students who followed a deep approach to learning had a significantly higher performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikael Jensen

<p>There has been an increased interest in personality traits (especially the five-factor model) in relation to education and learning over the last decade. Previous studies have shown a relation between personality traits and learning, and between personality traits and academic achievement. The latter is typically described in terms of Grade Point Average (GPA). This review paper gives an overview, based on previous research, of highly relevant factors that might explain the relation between personality traits and learning on the one hand and the relation between personality traits and academic achievement on the other hand. Motivation, goals and approaches to learning are important factors that are associated with some personality traits. Two conclusions can be made from this review: (1) intrinsic motivation, a deep approach to learning and learning goals are associated with general knowledge and good test results, all linked together by the openness trait; (2) extrinsic (in combination with intrinsic) motivation, an achieving (in combination with deep) approach to learning and performance goals (in combination with learning goals) are associated with high grades in general linked together by the conscientiousness trait. Openness is associated with learning and general knowledge while conscientiousness is associated with academic achievement.</p>


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regan A. R. Gurung ◽  
David B. Daniel ◽  
R. Eric Landrum

Four hundred and fifty-four students enrolled in introductory psychology at different institutions across the nation participated in a study of factors related to learning. Key measures included an instructor rating, ratings of textbook quality and helpfulness, study time, student self-evaluations of study behaviors, approach to learning, self-report of learning, and a measure of quiz performance using biopsychology and learning chapter questions from a College Board Advanced Placement exam. The authors found significant predictors of both self-reported learning (deep approach, less surface approach, instructor ratings, student self-evaluations, and study behaviors) and quiz performance (grade point average, study time, metacognitive activity, and less use of a surface approach to learning). These results are discussed in the context of optimizing student learning and providing a foundation for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-50
Author(s):  
Monika Ravik

ABSTRACTBackground: Many newly qualified nurses lack competence in practical nursing skills. Peripheral vein cannulation is particularly challenging to learn and perform. Skill learning is often developed from a reproduction and memorizing of knowledge and guidelines. Learning peripheral vein cannulation associated with successful placement require a more thorough and deeper approach to learning.Framework: Marton and Saljö’s ways of knowing, a surface and a deep approach to learning can be used during peripheral vein cannulation learning to guide development and competence in this practical nursing skill.Aim: The aim of this theoretical article was to provide knowledge and understanding about two approaches to skill learning, a surface and a deep, and how they can contribute to learning of peripheral vein cannulation.Conclusion: Nursing students learning of peripheral vein cannulation influence pedagogy choice by supervisors. Contextual factors, such as supervisors, influences learning opportunities and development of PVC competence.Key words: vein cannulation, nursing education, learning, surface approach to learning, deep approach to learning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf F. Zakariya ◽  
Simon Goodchild ◽  
Kirsten Bjørkestøl ◽  
Hans K. Nilsen

This study was framed within a quantitative research methodology to develop a concise measure of calculus self-efficacy with high psychometric properties. A survey research design was adopted in which 234 engineering and economics students rated their confidence in solving year-one calculus tasks on a 15-item inventory. The results of a series of exploratory factor analyses using minimum rank factor analysis for factor extraction, oblique promin rotation, and parallel analysis for retaining extracted factors revealed a one-factor solution of the model. The final 13-item inventory was unidimensional with all eigenvalues greater than 0.42, an average communality of 0.74, and a 62.55% variance of the items being accounted for by the latent factor, i.e., calculus self-efficacy. The inventory was found to be reliable with an ordinal coefficient alpha of 0.90. Using Spearman’ rank coefficient, a significant positive correlation ρ ( 95 ) =   0.27 ,   p <   0.05 (2-tailed) was found between the deep approach to learning and calculus self-efficacy, and a negative correlation ρ ( 95 ) =   − 0.26 ,   p <   0.05 (2-tailed) was found between the surface approach to learning and calculus self-efficacy. These suggest that students who adopt the deep approach to learning are confident in dealing with calculus exam problems while those who adopt the surface approach to learning are less confident in solving calculus exam problems.


Author(s):  
Suseela Malakolunthu ◽  
Alice Joshua

Purpose – In recent times, quality of graduates and their performance has been questioned. Students’ performance is an indicator of the kind of approach (deep or surface) that is taken. This study investigates the kind of undergraduates take in their learning processes.   Methodology – This quantitative survey used Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F). Sixty-three students participated in the study. Findings – Results showed no significant difference between the types of approach by gender, nationality, year of study, and major. However, the rank ordering of the mean value indicated that almost all the students who participated in the study did not possess a deep approach to learning. The Pearson’s r analysis revealed a weak negative statistical correlation between the deep and surface approaches to learning and weak positive statistical correlation between surface strategy and deep approach. However, a significant relationship between deep strategy and deep approach (r = .903**, p < .01) was found.   Significance – The lack of deep approach to learning among students can be attributed to factors such as the conditions of learning, professional capacity of teachers, and lack of instructional rigor in the program or coursework. It is imperative that emphasis is placed on using deep approaches to learning in the university courses so that deep learning experiences are created for students.


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