Learning strategies and their relationships to academic performance of high school students in Hong Kong

The present study examines the dynamic relationship between academic performance of high school students and their respective learning and study strategies. Two hundred thirty-six high school students were recruited to participate in this study by completing a Chinese version of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory - LASSI, to probe into the relationship. Results found that (1) there were clear differences to the learning and study strategies used by high school students with high academic performance, and those with low academic performance; (2) all the three components (Will; Self-regulation and Skill) were equally important to differentiate high academic achieving high school students from low academic achieving high school students within the strategic model of learning; and (3) a numbers of learning and study strategies were effectively predicting the academic performance of the high school students. All of these result patterns confirm that learning and study strategies used by high academic achievers and low academic achievers as well as the components used to predict students’ academic performance in the high school setting are quite different from the patterns revealed in the tertiary education sector.     

Engagement in learning: a comparison between Asian and European international university students

Drawing on research on both engagement in learning and approaches to learning, we examine the associations between international students’ approaches to learning, factors in the teaching/learning environment and self-assessed academic outcomes. A total of 307 students responded to our survey. Their experience of the purposefulness of their course assignments and the relevance of their studies was related to students having a deep approach to learning and being organised in their studies. Moreover, students applying a deep approach to learning and being organised in studying seemed to perceive their study success more positively. Furthermore, the better students’ perception of how well their courses were organised and aligned with other studies, the lower their stress level was. The Asian students in our study exhibited a slightly more surface approach to learning, and were more organised in their studies than the European students, but the differences were very small.     

高中生英语学习适应性与人格、学业自我效能感、学业成绩的关系

对河南省四所高中782名学生英语学习适应性的问卷调查结果表明:高中生英语学习适应性在具体维度上有显著的性别效应;人格特征中的外向性、宜人性、开放性与英语学习适应性呈显著正相关,学业自我效能中的语言学业自我效能与学习适应性呈显著正相关,数学学业自我效能与英语学习适应性的相关性极低且不显著;人格特征、学业自我效能感对英语学习适应性有显著的预测作用;高中生的学业成绩和学业自我效能感在人格特征与英语学习适应性之间起着中介作用。     

Maintaining academic integrity among East African university students

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which academic integrity is maintained in the academic programmes of three East African university students selected from one of the universities in each one of the three countries. For confidentiality and identification purposes, the universities were labeled A, B and C. The level of academic integrity was interpreted on the basis of the extent to which participants admitted to have engaged in plagiarism and academic misconduct in its various manifestations. The findings clearly indicated that academic dishonesty is widely practised by East African university students. The extent to which this held true varied from one item to another of the sixteen questionnaire statements with the highest score being in items related to plagiarism. Overall, 37% of the students in university C, followed by 32% of students in university A and 24% of students in university B engaged in academic dishonesty. The rate at which academic dishonesty was reported was comparable to what has been reported in other countries including Canada, Ethiopia, South Africa, the UK and USA.     

大学英语学习的策略研究

在二语习得领域里,学习策略是一项重要的研究内容,通过定量分析可以给大学英语教学带来重要的帮助。基于此,本文对青海师范大学中学生的英语学习策略进行实证研究以便对教学有所启示。     

The predicting roles of approaches to learning,L2 learning motivation,L2 learning strategies and L2 proficiency for learning outcomes: a comparison between Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese students

This study examined (1) differences in background, integrative/instrumental motivation, learning approach, leaning strategy and proficiency in second language (L2) and (2) the determinants of learning outcomes between Hong Kong and Mainland (Chinese) students. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 773 s language learners across four universities in Hong Kong and Mainland China to students in Bachelor of Education (English Language) programmes. The results showed that L2 proficiency was the strongest predictor of learning outcomes for Hong Kong and Mainland students, while integrative motivation was also a significant predictor of learning outcomes in both sample groups. In addition, instrumental motivation, deep approaches, and learning strategies were found to be significant predictors of learning outcomes for Mainland students. Mainland students demonstrated lower levels of motivation, learning approaches, learning strategies, L2 proficiency, as well as learning outcomes relative to Hong Kong students. Implications for curriculum design, classroom teaching and assessment, and future research are discussed in the paper.     

Stress,coping strategies and academic achievement in teacher education students

University students experience stress, and how they cope with this stress affects their academic achievement. This study examined stress in teacher education students and had three objectives: to describe different degrees of stress and coping styles; to study the relationship between stress, coping strategies and academic achievement; and to examine whether increased age can moderate the effects of stress on academic achievement in 334 university-students. There were three main findings: many students experienced stress and used avoidance coping strategies; the students who were under less stress and engaged less in cognitive avoidance and more in problem-focused coping were also the students who made more academic achievement; and students under more stress performed worse, but with age stress affected performance less. In teacher education students, it is important to recognize and address the harmful effects of stress on well-being and academic achievement, to avoid long-term problems in professional and personal life.     

当今大学生的生活道德面貌及其教育对策

大学生的日常生活表现出一定的道德取向,实证研究表明,广东大学生在对现实生活的认识、生活的价值取向、对待金钱的态度、选择朋友的标准等方面总体上反映了健康向上的风貌,但在生命健康意识方面问题较为突出。应引导大学生辩证地看待问题,鼓励大学生在奉献中获得回报,防止过分追求享乐的倾向和庸俗的人际交往,切实提高大学生的身心健康水平。     

大学生学习适应性及其影响因素

运用自编问卷对大学生学习适应性及其影响因素进行研究。结果表明:大多数大学生对学习是适应的,不能适应学习的大学生占36.3%;在学习适应性方面,女生优于男生,高年级优于低年级;学习压力三年级最高,学习紧张与焦虑程度四年级最低。教学方法、学习态度、课程设置、学习方法是造成学习适应不良的主要原因,不同性别、专业和年级之间也存在差异。适应良好学生的学习自主性水平较高,自主性作为大学生学习适应的指标之一是可行的。     

“中学生英语自主学习策略研究”调查报告

通过本调查，笔者认为造成英语学习效率低下的原因是由于中学生英语自主学习策略运用不当。改变传统教学模式，培养中学生学习策略是提高英语学习效率的途径。     

新疆师范大学民考民／民考汉少数民族学生外语学习过程中学习策略应用的调查报告

文章作者对新疆师范大学178名在校少数民族大学生英语学习过程中学习策略的应用情况进行了调查。调查结果表明：1．受试的178名少数民族学生最赞成形式操练观念和功能操练观念；2．形式操练观念和功能操练观念成正相关关系,这说明绝大多数受试者认为传统学习方法和交际学习法都对外语学习的进步有帮助；3．这些少数民族学生在学习外语过程中,更加依赖母语,缺乏自我管理意识,还有相当一部分学生语言学习焦虑感较强,表层动机也显得较低。     

Effects of academic dishonesty on dimensions of spiritual well-being and satisfaction: a comparative study of secondary school and university students

Recent research has shown an increase in academic dishonesty in different educational systems and levels, and negative effects on the academic institution, society and the students themselves. In order to describe the differential perception of academic dishonesty by Spanish secondary school and university students, and to study its consequences on psychological well-being, comparisons between two groups of students from secondary education and university were carried out, using measures of the perception and execution by others of dishonest behaviour, as well as psychological well-being and satisfaction with life and learning. University students revealed greater laxity of conscience, considering dishonest behaviour to be less serious and more common than secondary school students, and indulging in more dishonest behaviour themselves. They also showed greater spiritual, personal, community and environmental well-being, and greater satisfaction with learning. However, transcendental spiritual well-being was greater in the group of secondary education students. Academic dishonesty was associated with satisfaction with learning in both groups, and with satisfaction with life in secondary education. Its link with measures of spiritual well-being was greater in the group of secondary education students, being linked to transcendental well-being only in the group of university students. No gender differences were observed in any of the variables.     

A correlational study on attachment dimensions,academic performance and self-regulated learning of university students in South Africa

ABSTRACT

An association between attachment and academic performance appears to be consistently found in children; however, reports on such an association in adolescents are contradictory. This study aimed to determine whether the attachment dimensions of anxiety or avoidance significantly correlate with a student’s academic performance at university. Moreover, since individual differences in attachment index distinct self-regulatory capacities, this study aimed to determine whether any correlation exists between a student’s attachment dimensions and measures of self-regulated learning. Attachment dimensions were determined by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire, while self-regulated learning was determined by the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, in a sample of university students (n = 185). Neither attachment dimensions correlated significantly with measures of academic performance. However, attachment dimensions did significantly correlate with measures of self-regulated learning in this study.     

Relations between student learning patterns and personal and contextual factors and academic performance

This study was aimed at clarifying relations between the way students learn and personal, contextual and performance variables. Students from seven different academic disciplines completed the Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). Besides, data about their age, gender, academic discipline, prior education and exam performance were gathered. Regression and correlations analyses were used to analyse the data. The results showed that students learning patterns were indeed associated with personal and contextual factors such as academic discipline, prior education, age and gender, but that the different learning patterns had different sources. Second, students learning patterns proved to explain an important part of the variance in their academic performance. However, the results also revealed that exams as usually used in the first years of higher education hardly capitalise on students use of critical, analytical and concrete processing strategies.     

Transfer of academic staff learning in a research-intensive university

In both Australia and abroad, there is an increasing pressure towards professionalisation of university teaching, with the expectation that academic development courses, such as the Graduate Certificate in Education Studies (higher education), lead to better teaching and learning practices. However, the knowledge, skills and/or attitudes that educators intend students to learn may not transfer successfully back to the workplace. This may occur for a variety of reasons, including individual characteristics of the learner (e.g. ability, motivation), and situational characteristics (e.g. the climate for transfer, including adequacy of resources and peer/manager support). The present study investigates the impact of these factors on teaching staff in a research-intensive university. Two in-depth case studies, followed by thematic analysis of 15 Graduate Certificate alumni interviews regarding post-course experiences, revealed that qualities of the work environment played significant roles in interviewees' post-course attitudes, intentions and activities related to the transfer of learning. Implications for encouraging transfer under similar circumstances are discussed.     

Future time orientation and learning conceptions: effects on metacognitive strategies,self-efficacy beliefs,study effort and academic achievement

During the past decade, research on the constructive learning process has been conducted mainly from two perspectives: student approaches to learning (SAL) and self-regulated learning (SRL). The SAL perspective has highlighted the role of learning conceptions with respect to other topics involved in constructive learning processes, whereas recently the SAL perspective has emphasised the effects of the future time perspective (FTP) and self-efficacy beliefs about these topics. Based on these two lines of research (SRL and SAL), using path analysis, we explored the direct and indirect effects of FTP and learning conceptions on self-efficacy, metacognitive strategies, effort and academic performance. Likewise, we identified some patterns that combine specific factors related to these variables. Participants in the present study were 100 (84% females, 16% males) Spanish fourth year university students enrolled in the Social Sciences Degree Programme. The ages of the students ranged from 18 to 49 (M = 22.02; SD = 3.68) and their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Likert-scale inventories were used to obtain data from students: FTP; learning conceptions; metacognitive strategies scale; and self-efficacy beliefs for SAL. On the one hand, the path analysis showed interesting indirect and direct relationships between topics with regard to key constructs of each of these research perspectives (SRL/SAL). However, these results do not coincide with the body of knowledge about FTP. On the other hand, results obtained using cluster and discriminant analysis revealed three specific patterns: a meaning orientation to learning and the future, a reproductive orientation to learning and the present, and an unusual pattern explained by the influence of historical-cultural characteristics on learning practices in educational contexts. We consider that this last pattern presents relevant implications for educational practice.     

山西省贫困县高中学生英语词汇学习策略调查研究

以山西省贫困县172名高二学生为调查对象,采用问卷调查、访谈等工具,探究高中学生英语词汇学习观念与运用词汇学习策略的总体倾向。结果表明,高中学生普遍认为应该通过运用及上下文来学习记忆词汇而不是死记硬背;在习得词汇时,使用元认知策略和社会情感策略频率较低,而使用认知策略的频率较高。     

中学生英语学习动机调控策略研究

本文旨在研究中学生在英语学习中对动机调控策略的使用情况及其和英语成绩的关系。采用问卷的方式对105名高中二年级学生进行了调查,并使用SPSS11.5对数据进行了描述性统计分析、独立样本T检验和相关分析。结果表明：中学生对八种动机调控策略的使用频率均达到了中等或较高水平;女生对动机调控策略的使用频率高于男生;八种动机调控策略中,除后果设想之外的其他七种策略均与英语成绩正相关。     

大学生学习动机欠缺的原因及对策研究

当今大学生学习动机的欠缺通常表现为厌学情绪滋生、降低对自己的要求、思想压抑,缺乏动力等现象。要激发学生的学习动机必须着力改革教育方式和高校的办学模式并向学生传授良好的学习方法。     

初中生理科课程学习动机与学习策略的调查研究

采用问卷调查形式,研究了初中生学习理科课程的学习动机与学习策略的发展情况.经过标准比数据处理,结果发现初中生在理科课程学习中内、外动机是相互促进的,二者对学习策略的影响都很显著.学习理科课程时监控策略运用最多,而精加工策略运用水平不高,这可能与传统的教学方式有关.