The relationships between personality, approaches to learning, and academic success in first-year psychology distance education students

[Abstract]: The first aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the big five personality traits and approaches to learning in a sample of first-year psychology distance students. Approaches to learning are the intentions a student has when faced with a learning task. A deep approach reflects an intention to understand the material, a strategic approach reflects an intention to achieve the highest grades possible, and a surface approach reflects an intention to cope with the course requirements by memorising facts. Consistent with previous research of on-campus students, the Intellect trait predicted the deep learning approach; the Conscientiousness trait predicted the strategic learning approach; and the Emotional Stability trait negatively predicted the surface learning approach. The second aim of this study was to investigate whether approaches to learning predict academic success, as measured by grade point average. As expected, the surface learning approach negatively predicted achievement. However, contrary to expectations, neither the deep nor the strategic learning approach predicted academic success. This finding may partly be explained by these first-year distance students undergoing a transition to the expectations and requirements of their flexible learning environments. Further research is warranted to establish whether the deep and strategic learning approaches become more likely to predict academic success in the latter years of study, after distance students have adapted to the flexible delivery methods. To this end, a longitudinal study that tracks the academic performance of these students until they complete their degrees or leave the university is recommended

A study of the understanding of knowledge and learning of a cohort of mature age students

In 2005 the authors began a longitudinal research project to explore the factors that influence student success in the Master of Engineering Practice program which was offered for the first time in Semester 2, 2004. This distance education program enables experienced Engineering Technologists to use their workplace learning to gain a qualification at the Professional Engineer level. This research was initiated because the admission of some students into the program is based on the recognition of their prior workplace learning. Cantwell and Scevak (2004) highlighted the problems that students may encounter when they gain entry to a university on this basis. To explore this issue four previously validated questionnaires were used to gather data on: student approaches to learning, their epistemological beliefs, learning style preferences, and strategic flexibility. This paper reports on a preliminary analysis of the data gathered from the students who enrolled in the program during the period 2005-2009. In the longer term, when the sample size has grown and more students have graduated, the data will be analysed to explore the relationship between the measured factors and success at university

Emerging spheres of engagement: the role of trust and care in community-university research

Community-engaged research takes place at a complex social site that has both a history and a future as well as encompassing the project activities of the researchers and community members. We argue that a crucial methodological aspect of undertaking such research is the development of trust relationships between researchers and community. We propose that for each research project, this relationship can best be understood as a ‘sphere of engagement’, after Ingold’s ‘sphere of nurture’, and that trust and care are emergent and binding qualities of this sphere. Tracing the development of trust relationships in a case study, using the idea of security-based trust and harmony-based trust, we conclude that trust, and the related concept of care, bind together people, events, histories and futures beyond the dichotomous and time-delimited relationship of a research contract, and carry the sphere of engagement of researchers and community beyond the life of any one project

Enabling states, capitalising enterprise and confronting the social: issues and implications in researching contemporary social capital and enterprise

A key feature of late capitalism continues to be a complex reworking of previous approaches to the relationship between the state and business. This significant shift in the interplay between the public and private sectors has generated such developments as the privatisation of many services formerly provided by government and the growth of not-for-profit organisations seeking to fill gaps in service provision. These changes are highly significant for every citizen and community member and for all stakeholders. This first chapter in this book encapsulates these complex developments in terms of debates about the enabling imperatives of the contemporary state, the character of the intersection between capital and enterprise, and a timely confrontation of what is understood by “the social” in current discourses, policies and strategies. In presenting this distillation, the authors introduce the subsequent chapters in the book in terms of how each chapter, including this one, contributes new insights to the broader project of eliciting the issues and implications attendant on researching contemporary social capital and social enterprise. This project is crucial if we are to understand the ways in which social capital and social enterprise can work sustainably and transformatively with variously marginalised and vulnerable groups in our societies. It is vital also for understanding the ways that such work is constrained and limited in its effectiveness

Helping first year engineering students Get Set for success in their studies

The increasing diversity of the student population in higher education gives rise to issues relating to the ability to engage all students in productive and fulfilling learning experiences. With diversity comes an acknowledgement of the variety of learning spaces occupied by incoming students, and the need to ensure that those spaces become places of learning. The strategy proposed in this study to transform space into place is an online pre-test of first year engineering students, the Get Set quiz. This quiz enables commencing engineering students to self-test their readiness to study their chosen courses by measuring and providing individualised feedback on a number of cognitive and non-cognitive factors shown to be significant predictors of academic success. The best time for such self-assessment is prior to the commencement of their studies. Get Set helps set the scene for establishing place, by giving students the confidence that they have made an informed career choice, and/or by linking them with appropriate support mechanisms if necessary. Students are directed to support both on campus and online to help develop an individual study plan to address any knowledge and skills gaps. This proactive approach to independent learning improves students' self-awareness and helps them self-reflect on their approaches to learning, better preparing them for their studies

Promoting learning in first year psychology students

My teaching philosophy is all about challenging students to become critical thinkers and self-directed learners. My aim is to arouse passion and interest in the material they are studying so that they become totally engaged in the learning process. This paper will report on the teaching pedagogies I use to stimulate independent thinking and enthusiasm among my first year psychology students. It will also deliberate on some of the challenges in supporting large numbers of students learning via distance education. It will demonstrate how I have embraced new technologies to improve the learning environment for all students, regardless of their backgrounds or mode of study. It will also showcase a new textbook I have co-authored to enhance the quality of the learning experience for Australian students, promoting student understanding of issues relevant to cross-cultural and Indigenous psychology. This paper will also report on the results of a longitudinal study designed to establish how teachers may best respond to issues of student diversity in their teaching

Get set, go! Preparing for success in first year engineering

The Get Set quiz is a two-part battery of online tests developed to enable students to self-assess their readiness to enter first year engineering programs in five Australian universities: The University of Southern Queensland, the University of Queensland, the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of Newcastle, and the University of New England. The first part consists of maths, physics, chemistry, and spatial ability multi-choice items. Part 2 evaluates non-cognitive traits such as personality, approaches to learning, and interest in and motivation for studying engineering. Students gain most value from the quiz when they complete it prior to commencing their first semester of study

The relationship among conceptions of knowledge, approaches to learning, personality, and academic success

[Abstract]: Presently, there is much interest in how students study and what skills best facilitate their academic performance. The aim of this study was to examine how students’ conceptions of knowledge, approaches to learning, and personality relate to academic success. An online survey was completed by 198 first-year tertiary students, including 116 off-campus psychology students. This paper will report the relationships among the key variables. As expected, Quick Learning and Simple Knowledge variables positively predicted a Surface learning approach. In contrast, Innate Ability, Simple Knowledge, and Certain Knowledge variables negatively predicted a Deep learning approach. Innate Ability negatively predicted a Strategic learning approach. However, students’ conceptions of knowledge did not predict academic success. As expected, students who adopted a Surface learning approach experienced lower academic success. Contrary to expectations, however, Deep and Strategic learning approaches did not positively predict academic success. An interesting finding was that Intellect positively predicted a Deep learning approach. Further, Conscientiousness, Intellect, and Emotional Stability positively predicted a Strategic learning approach and negatively predicted a Surface learning approach. Personality also predicted academic success. Neuroticism negatively predicted academic success; Conscientiousness positively predicted academic success. The implications of these findings are discussed

In search of the key factors that influence student success at university

This paper describes the results of the first stage of a longitudinal research project being undertaken at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) to identify the key predictors of academic success. By identifying the individual and sociocultural factors that influence how individual students perform, educators are in a better position to make changes to the teaching and learning environments so that future commencing students can achieve a smoother and more successful transition to university. The research team used a battery of tests to gather a wide variety of data about students in the on-campus offer of a first year engineering course. The data was analysed to gain an understanding of the diversity of the students in the cohort and to identify the significant factors that influenced their success in their first year of study at USQ. The results indicated that Queensland Tertiary admission centre rank significantly predicted academic success and, interestingly, the Extroversion personality trait also proved to be important. The implications of these findings are discussed

The relationships between learning approaches, personality and academic success: school leavers versus nonschool leavers

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between approaches to learning, personality, and academic success in a sample of 177 first-year psychology students. Most of the students (n = 144; 81.4%) were first-year tertiary students (school leavers); 33 students (18.6%) had more than one-year tertiary experience (nonschool leavers). The students were enrolled either on-campus or via distance education at the University of Southern Queensland and completed an online survey for course credit. Academic achievement was measured as grade point average (GPA). This paper will report the relationships among the key variables. Univariate analyses of variance showed that nonschool leavers obtained higher GPAs and scored higher on the Deep and Strategic learning approaches than did school leavers. Conversely, school leavers scored higher on the Surface approach to learning. A regression analysis showed that the Strategic approach predicted GPA. None of the five personality traits were related to academic achievement. However, Intellect and Conscientiousness were each found to predict the Deep approach to learning; Conscientiousness was found to predict the Strategic approach to learning; and Emotional Stability and Intellect were each found to predict the Surface approach to learning. The implications of these findings are discussed