Do students benefit from a standardised approach to teaching in post-secondary education?

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 32: The Student Experience

July, 2009, 715 pages
Published by
Helen Wozniak and Sonia Bartoluzzi
ISBN
0 908557 78 7
Abstract 

This study was to monitor the change in students’ approaches to learning over a three-year period and to gain insights into the relationship between students’ approaches to learning and students’ academic achievements in a standardised PBL environment. Results indicated a significant increase towards ‘deep’ and ‘achieving’ with ‘deep’ having a greater magnitude of change by the end of students’ first year of study. This increase in ‘deep’ and ‘achieving’ were shown to have a positive effect on students’ learning outcomes. As students progressed towards end of second year, the dominant approach to learning for the majority of students has changed from ‘achieving’ to ‘deep’. At the end of third-year study, a significant increase in “Surface” approach to learning was recorded. Although “Deep” approach to learning was still students’ dominant learning mode, a significant increase in surface learning motives was detected one year before they completed their final year of study. Further analysis into the strategies and motives elements of SPQ added more insights on the changes in students’ approaches to learning. The study concludes that a standardised PBL methodology can have a positive effect students’ approach to learning and outcomes. However, the extent of this positive effect depends on various factors such as quality of facilitation and problems, how students perceived the teaching environment and how long a standard methodology is employed.

Keywords: Problem-based learning, approach to learning, study process questionnaire