Investigating the relationships between approaches to learning, learner identities and academic achievement in higher education

• Published in: Higher education Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 385 - 400
• Main Authors: Herrmann, K, Bager-Elsborg, A, Mccune, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.09.2017; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement Need; Affinity; Analysis; Ausland; Beliefs; Cluster analysis; Cognitive style; College Science; College Students; Communities of Practice; Correlation; Dänemark; Education; Educational aspects; Educational psychology; Educational Research; Higher Education; Hochschule; Identity; Instructional Materials; Intellectual Development; Intellectual Disciplines; Learning; Measures (Individuals); Membership; Multivariate Analysis; Property; Psychological aspects; Psychometrics; Quantitative psychology; Questionnaires; Research Tools; Research Universities; School Holding Power; Self Concept; Self Efficacy; Social Integration; Student Attitudes; Student Surveys; Academic achievement; Self-efficacy beliefs; Approaches to learning; Organised effort; Learner identities
• ISSN: 0018-1560; 1573-174X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10734-016-9999-6

This paper considers relationships between approaches to learning, learner identities, self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement in higher education. In addition to already established survey instruments, a new scale, subject area affinity, was developed. The scale explores the extent to which students identify with their area of study and imagine being part of it in future. The new scale showed strong psychometric properties when it was tested on a sample of 4377 students at a research-intensive university. The new scale correlated positively with both the deep approach and self-efficacy scales. The new scale also correlated negatively with the surface approach scale. K-means cluster analysis identified seven distinct groups of students who espoused interpretable combinations of approaches, self-efficacy and subject area affinity. Cluster membership was associated with differences in academic achievement. Implications are discussed.(HRK / Abstract übernommen).