Abstract

VALADAS, Sandra Cristina Andrade Teodósio dos Santos; GONCALVES, Fernando Ribeiro  and  FAISCA, Luís Miguel Madeira. Perfis de aprendizagem de estudantes do ensino superior: Abordagens ao estudo, concepções de aprendizagem e preferências por diferentes tipos de ensino. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2011, vol.29, n.3, pp.369-389. ISSN 0870-8231.

Based on the work of Entwistle and colleagues about how students perceive and live learning experiences, the main aims of the present study were: first, to understand and to analyze meanings attributed to learning, to study and preferences for types of teaching, in order to understand how students conceptualize what is required from them in terms of learning in Higher Education; second, to understand if students’ approaches to studying and conceptions of learning differ according to the scientific areas and course years. Furthermore, if differences were found, our intention was to analyze its meanings, what seems most relevant in terms of learning pathways for those involved. In this sense, we considered the perceptions of students regarding teaching and learning, as indicators that influence what students think about teaching, studying and learning (preferences for types of lectures and teaching). Considering the proximity between constructs we wanted to further relate the approaches to learning with the conceptions of learning (reproductive and significant) and, the preference for diversified types of learning and of instructions. It was also our intention to set profiles according to the ways the students approach study and learning. This descriptive, correlational and non experimental study design was developed with a sample of 568 students at a university in the south of a European country. The results supported the hypothesis that there are some significant differences in terms of year of course and of the scientific domain, and allowed us to set profiles according to the ways students perceive study and learning tasks.

Keywords : Approaches to studying; ASSIST; College students; Conceptions of learning.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )