Undergraduate Students' Conceptions of and Approaches to Learning in Biology: A Study of Their Structural Models and Gender Differences

Autor/inn/en	Chiou, Guo-Li; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung
Titel	Undergraduate Students' Conceptions of and Approaches to Learning in Biology: A Study of Their Structural Models and Gender Differences
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science Education, 34 (2012) 2, S.167-195 (29 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0950-0693
DOI	10.1080/09500693.2011.558131
Schlagwörter	Majors (Students); Undergraduate Students; Biology; Memorization; Gender Differences; Student Attitudes; Structural Equation Models; Questionnaires; Learning Processes; Learning Strategies; Foreign Countries; Asians; Taiwan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Biologie; Gedächtnistraining; Geschlechterkonflikt; Schülerverhalten; Fragebogen; Learning process; Lernprozess; Learning methode; Learning techniques; Lernmethode; Lernstrategie; Ausland; Asian; Asiat; Asiatin; Asiaten; Asiate
Abstract	This study reports the findings of a study which examined the relationship between conceptions of learning and approaches to learning in biology. This study, which used structural equation modelling, also sorted to identify gender differences in the relationship. Two questionnaires, the Conceptions of Learning Biology (COLB) and the Approaches to Learning Biology (ALB), were developed to investigate 582 undergraduate biology majors' (275 females and 307 males) conceptions of and approaches to learning biology, respectively. The results indicate a general trend that, while the students possessing lower-level COLB, "Memorizing", "Testing", and "Calculating and Practising", tend to adopt a surface approach to learning in biology, the students expressing higher-level conceptions, "Increasing one's knowledge", "Application", and "Understanding and seeing in a new way", are more likely to adopt a deep approach to learning in biology. This study also found several salient gender differences in the COLB, as well as in the way in which the COLB affected the ALB. For example, female students tended to express more sophisticated COLB than male students. The "Memorizing" conception of learning biology held by male students is inclined to engender both deep motive and deep strategy, but this tendency was not found among the female students. (Contains 1 figure and 7 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10