Two theories of learning (Vermunt's learning conceptions and Baxter Magolda's ways of knowing and patterns of reasoning) are compared using a general perspective and a gender perspective, with the aim of combining and extending them. Comparison suggests a number of relationships between theories on a conceptual level, but these could not be…

Comparison of the conceptions of learning of 60 nursing students and 54 auto mechanic students, elicited in individual interviews at program beginning and end, found qualitative differences and similarities. Differences within an educational program were fewer than those among students participating in different programs. Among students within a…

Data describing college students' study orientations in relation to their evaluations of courses and preferences for different kinds of learning environment are reexamined in light of recent suggestions that failing students perceive their learning context atypically. Implications of this disintegration of coherent perception patterns are examined…

Analysis of literature concerning approaches to studying in higher education suggests that these vary systematically from one culture to another. Two common orientations are distinguished: comprehension of meaning of learning materials, and reproduction of them. The former is consistent and coherent, the latter fragmented and variable according to…

Relationships between three approaches to learning (surface, deep, and achieving), prior knowledge of subject area, and performance on a multiple-choice test following a unit in basic psychology were investigated with 105 college freshmen. Approaches to learning were unrelated to test performance. Prior knowledge did not relate to a deep approach…

A study of whether the Middle Eastern student feels that attaining the status of "Western modern man" is incompatible with maintaining a traditional, religious way of life is reported. Some loosening of extreme religious practices was found among college students, but there was no evident revolt against home or tradition. (MSE)

Interviews with 13 recent college graduates and written comments of 11 seniors revealed different forms of understanding paralleling different conceptions of learning. Further analysis suggests that types of structure used in a lecture-based course can influence the ease with which students integrate information for comprehension. (Author/MSE)

This paper provides a historical account of the involvement of overseas students in United Kingdom universities and reviews the literature on student attitudes to their stay, relating this to the contemporary experiences of 11 overseas graduates of the University of Hull's master of arts program in social work. (MDM)

Research on mature graduate students' approaches to learning indicates that quantitative conceptions of learning predominate, but also suggests an additional model. Examines empirical data concerning the stability of these conceptions over time in the context of graduate education, and argues for further research into a conception which holds that…

A survey of approximately 150 Moscow (Russia) university students investigated cheating behavior and attitudes. Results indicated that most students cheated and justified cheating by finding fault with the educational system. It is suggested these attitudes are also linked to the overall structure of the Soviet system, and that Perestroika…

A study found systematic, structural gender differences between male (n=266) and female (n=144) college students in perceptions of and approaches to learning. It is argued that gender variation in study behavior is an important but often neglected source of variation in student learning that can and should be managed by educators. (Author/MSE)

A comparison of university and polytechnic students' attitudes toward educational and instructional quality found that university students are less likely than polytechnic students to use serious approaches to study. The university students experienced poorer teaching, and the polytechnic students saw their courses as a means to gain employment.…

An Australian study compared Southeast Asian foreign students' ways of thinking about learning, their learning goals, and their perceptions of the usefulness of typical university study with those of local students at the beginning of their studies in Australia and after one semester. Evidence of cultural differences in these areas tended to…

The attitudes towards the methods and purposes of tertiary education of faculty and students at a Filipino university are compared. Attitudes about the purposes of a college education, preferences for different modes of learning, and views on faculty and student roles in decision-making related to the instructional process are assessed.…

Samples of freshmen from an open, distance-learning university (n=34) and a traditional university (n=20) were interviewed about their cognitive strategies, regulation of learning, mental models of learning, affective processes concerning learning, learning orientations, and perceptions of effectiveness of instructional approaches. Four…