Students approaches to learning and their experiences of the teachinglearning environment

Sari Lindblom-Ylnne & Anna Parpala Helsinki University Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education Finland

Aims of the LEARN project

Research-informed tool for enhancing quality at
the University of Helsinki

Research on student learning and on students

experiences of their teaching-learning environments
- Differences between the study years, disciplines, curricula ect. - Relations to study pace and study success

A tool for developing students metacognitive

and self-regulation skills
Sari Lindblom-Ylnne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education 2

Development of the questionnaire

Questionnaire is a modified version of
the Experiences of Teaching & Learning Questionnaire (ETLQ), developed for the UK-wide Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments in Undergraduate Courses (ETL) Project1 http://www.ed.ac.uk/etl

The LEARN questionnaire

Part 1. Experiences of teaching-learning
environment
modified

from ETLQ from ETLQ

Part 2. Approaches to learning

modified

Part 3. Factors that enhance or impede

studying

Part 4. Discipline-specific and faculty-level

questions

The scales measuring approaches to learning

Factors and their reliabilities (General
Reliability)
Deep

approach (.83)

- Relating ideas - Use of Evidence

Organised

studying (.76)

Intention
Surface

to understand (.70)

approach (.56)

Scales measuring experiences of the teaching-learning environment

Factors and their reliabilities (General
Reliability)
Teaching

for understanding (.83)

(.78)

Alignment Staff

enthusiasm and support (.63) and relevance (.79) feedback (.77) from other students (.79)

Interest

Constructive Support

Correlations between approaches to learning and experience of the teaching-learning environment scales
(N=2509, p<0.000)

Scales

Staff Interest Teaching for enthusiasm and understanding Alignment and support relevance

Construct. feedback

Support from other students

Deep approach

.37 .25 .23

.23 .27 .30

.29 .20 .24

.34 .32 .42

.27 .24 .24

.15 .20 .20

Intention to understand
Organised studying

Surface approach

-.33

-.38

-.30

-.38

-.16

-.15
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Sari Lindblom-Ylnne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education

Differences between 1stand 3rd-year students

(N=2509)

First-year students scored higher on the scales

measuring the teaching-learning environment than third-year students

Less differences in approaches to learning

1st-year

students scored higher on Aiming at understanding (p<.05)

Scale means in the faculties (N=2509)

5,00 4,50

4,00

3,50

3,00

2,50

2,00

Sari Lindblom-Ylnne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education

un de rs ta nd in E g 3 St E af 2 fs Al ig up m po en rt t an d en E 4 th In us te ia re m st an d E re 5 le C va on nc st ru e ct iv e E 6 fe Su ed ba pp ck or tf ro m st ud en A1 ts D ee p ap A pr 2 oa O rg ch an is ed A 3 st In ud te nt yi ng io n to un de rs A 4 ta Su nd rfa ce ap pr oa ch
Agriculture Arts Biosciences Behavioural Sc. Pharmacy Law Science Social Sc. Veterinary med. Theology
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Te ac hi ng

fo r

Student profiles (clusters)

(N=2509, Mean 500, Sd 100)
650

600

Group 1 Organised students

550

500

Group 2 Students applying a deep approach Group 3 Students applying a surface approach

450

Group 4 Unorganised students applying a deep approach

400

350

Deep

Organised

Intention to understand

Surface

Disciplinary differences in approaches to learning

Group 1 Organised students (n=899)
common in the Faculties of Veterinary Medicine, Law, Agriculture and Forestry, Pharmacy and Science Group 2 Students applying a deep approach (n=675) Most common in the Faculties of Behavioural Sciences and Social Sciences Group 4 Unorganised students applying a deep approach (n=545) Most common in the Faculties of Theology, Biosciences and Arts Group 3 Students applying a surface approach (n=390) The smallest group Fifth of the students in the Faculties of Pharmacy and Science belonged to this group
Most

Approaches to learning and study success

First-year law students (n=550) applying a
deep approach succeeded the best
Highest

The study pace was the fastest and the GPA

the highest among 3dr-year veterinary students applying a deep approach (n=36)
The

GPA and the most study credits Lowest GPA among Students applying a surface approach

study pace was the lowest and the variation between students the highest among Unorganised students applying a deep approach Differences between the groups were non significant 12

Study success in biosciences (n=188)

High scores in organised studying was
related to study success in biosciences after the first study year
Organised

studying combined with Support from other students predicted study pace (earned credits) Organised studying combined with Interest and relevance predicted high grades

Sari Lindblom-Ylnne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education

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Same factors can both enhance and impede learning

an example from behavioural sciences
Factor Faculty / department-level factors Enhancing Personal study plan (study counselling), curriculum reform, structured curriculum, freedom of choice Impeding Not enough counselling, courses not distributed evenly (morning-evening; Monday-Friday), curriculum reform (study periods)

Teaching

varying methods, good teachers, stimulating atmosphere, interaction Social support from peers, interest, motivation, commitment, self-regulation skills

hurry, unclear instructions, compulsory courses

The student

Not enough peer support, laziness, lack of interest, unclear future, combining studying with working

Same factors can both enhance and impede learning

an example from veterinary medicine
Factor Planning of teaching (curriculum level) Teaching Enhancing Impeding

well organised, small groups, heavy workload, too much concentration on key issues, facts, big group, wrong place linked to previous knowledge in the curriculum, not linked to previous knowledge varying methods, good text books, stimulating atmosphere expertise, good pedagogical skills, interactive, motivated hurry, pressing atmosphere, poor teaching practices poorly motivated, too theoretical, poorly prepared

The teacher

The student

interest, motivation, selfregulation skills

laziness, stress, lack of interest, too difficult

Implementing LEARN in practice

Development of the questionnaire
(Research on validity and reliability; modification to the Finnish context ; analyses of the results etc.)

University level quality assurance

Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in faculties and departments

Using LEARN as a a part of students personal study plan, enhancing selfregulation and metacognitive skills
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Questionnaire has been obligatory in three

faculties
Biosciences, In the future,

Using the questionnaire in enhancing students personal study skills

Law, Veterinary Medicine used in all faculties

Students answer the questionnaire as part of

their personal study plan during the first, third and fifth study years The students can use an interpretation key (self-evaluation form) to analyse their inventory results
The

students are able to compare their results to those of their own faculty and to those of all university students

References
-Haarala-Muhonen,

A., Lindblom-Ylnne, S. & Parpala, A. (in preparation). Relationship

between approaches to learning and study success of first-year law students

-Myllyl, J., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylnne, S., Korvenranta, S. ja Mattila, A. (2007). University students experiences of teaching and learning in the Faculty of Behavioural Science. Questionnaire for first and third year students. Published in Finnish. Pedagogicasarjan julkaisuja 26. Helsingin yliopisto. Kyttytymistieteellinen tiedekunta. -Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylnne, S., Komulainen, E., Hirsto, L. & Litmanen, T. (2009). Students perceptions of the teaching-learning environment, approaches to learning and their relationship among first- and third-year students. Submitted for publication. -Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylnne, S., Komulainen, E., Litmanen, T. & Hirsto, L. (2009). Students approaches to learning and their experiences of the teaching -learning environment in different disciplines. British Journal of Educational Psychology, accepted for publication. -Ruohoniemi, M. & Lindblom-Ylnne, S. (2009). Student perspectives on factors enhancing and preventing their learning. International Journal of Academic Development, 14 (1), 69 81. -Ruohoniemi, M., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylnne, S. & Katajavuori, N.(2009) Relationships between students' approaches to learning, perceptions of the teaching-learning environment, and study success - a case study of third-year veterinary students. Paper to be presented in EARLI 2009, Amsterdam. -Rytknen, H., Parpala, A., Virtanen, V. & Lindblom-Ylnne, S. (2009). Approaches to Learning, Perceptions of the Teaching-Learning environment and their relationship to study success and study pace of first-year bioscience students. Paper to be presented in EARLI 2009, Amsterdam.

Sari Lindblom-Ylnne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education

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