The impact of the university context on European students' learning approaches and learning environment preferences |
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Authors: | Ronny FA Wierstra Gellof Kanselaar Jos L van der Linden Hans GLC Lodewijks Jan D Vermunt |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Educational Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands;(2) Department of Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands;(3) Department of Educational Development and Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | This article describesexperiences of 610 Dutch students and 241students from other European countries whostudied at least three months abroad within theframework of an international exchange program.The Dutch students went to a university inanother European country and the foreignstudents went to a Dutch university. By meansof a questionnaire students' perceptions ofthree main characteristics of the universitylearning environment were measured concerningthe home university, the host university andthe ideal learning environment. The studentswere also asked about their way of learning atthe home university and at the host university,in particular about the extent of constructivelearning and reproductive learning. Evidencewas found for the influence of aspects of thelearning environment on the two learningapproaches; e.g., a learning environmentcharacterized as student-oriented discouragesreproductive learning and promotes constructivelearning, especially when conceptual andepistemological relations within the learningdomain are stressed. The learning environmentpreferences of the students were partly relatedto their learning orientations at the homeuniversity, but they were strikingly similarfor students from different countries. Therewas a strong preference for those learningenvironment aspects that promote constructivelearning. |
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Keywords: | higher education instructional preferences learning environment learning strategies student exchange teaching style |
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