Abstract
The aim of the present study was to explore the individual profiles of successful, rapidly progressing first-year university students. The participants numbered 38 humanities and law students, who volunteered to be interviewed. The interview data were analysed using abductive content analysis. Two student profiles were distinguished: strenuously progressing students, who were interested and motivated but had to work hard to meet their deadlines and maintain a rapid study pace (applying a defensive pessimism cognitive strategy), and effortlessly progressing students, who had very good self-regulation skills, strong self-efficacy for self-regulation and the most positive experiences of their learning environment. These students applied a deep approach to learning and an optimistic cognitive strategy. The results highlight the complex interplay between motivational and volitional factors, the approaches to learning and the cognitive attributional strategies affecting individual study paths.
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Sari Lindblom-Ylänne, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education, University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, sari.lindblom@helsinki.fi, www.helsinki.fi/yty/
Current themes of research:
Student learning at university. Academic emotions. Procrastination. Approaches to learning. Motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. Regulation of learning.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
1. Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Saariaho, E., Inkinen, M., Haarala-Muhonen, A. & Hailikari, T. (2015) Academic procrastinators, strategic delayers and something betwixt and between: an interview study. Frontline Learning Research, 3(2), 27–42.
2. Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Parpala, A. & Postareff, L. (2013). Challenges in analysing change in students’ approaches to learning. In: D. Gjjbels, V. Donche, J. Richardson, & J. Vermunt (Eds), Learning patterns in higher education: dimensions and research perspective. New York, US: Routledge (Book series New Perspectives on Learning and Instruction), pp. 232–248.
3. Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Parpala, A., & Postareff, L. (2015). Methodological challenges in measuring change in students’ learning processes. In: L. Hill & F. Levine (Eds.). World Education Research Yearbook 2015. Routledge, pp. 160–180.
Anne Haarala-Muhonen, Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 4, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, anne.haarala-muhonen@helsinki.fi
Current themes of research:
Student learning at university. Procrastination. Approaches to learning. Motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. Regulation of learning.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
4. Haarala-Muhonen, A., Ruohoniemi, M., Katajavuori, N. & Lindblom-Ylänne S. (2011). Comparison of students’ perceptions of their teaching-learning environments in three professional academic disciplines—a valuable tool for quality enhancement. Learning Environments Research, 14(2), 155–169.
5. Haarala-Muhonen, A., Ruohoniemi, M. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2011) Factors affecting the study pace of first-year law students—in search of study counselling tools. Studies in Higher Education, 36(8), 911–922.
6. Haarala-Muhonen, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. & Ruohoniemi, M. (2013). Successful law students as models for beginner students? Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 50(3), 261–271.
Liisa Postareff, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education, University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, sari.lindblom@helsinki.fi, www.helsinki.fi/yty/
Current themes of research:
Student learning at university. Academic emotions. Procrastination. Approaches to learning. Motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. Regulation of learning.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
1. Postareff, L., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., & Parpala, A. (2014). Explaining university students’ strong commitment to understand through individual and contextual elements. Frontline Learning Research 3, 31–49.
2. Postareff, L., Parpala, A., & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2015). Factors contributing to changes in a deep approach to learning in different learning environments. Learning Environments Research, 18, 313–333.
3. Postareff, L. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2008). Variation in teachers’ descriptions of their teaching—broadening the understanding of teaching in higher education. Learning and Instruction, 18(2), 109–120.
4. Postareff, L. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2011). Emotions and confidence within teaching in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 36(7), 799–813.
Telle Hailikari, Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education, University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, sari.lindblom@helsinki.fi, www.helsinki.fi/yty/
Current themes of research:
Student learning at university. Academic emotions. Procrastination. Approaches to learning. Motivation and self-efficacy beliefs.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
1. Hailikari, T., Katajavuori, N. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2008). The relevance of prior knowledge in learning and instructional design. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 72(5), article 113 (8 pages).
2. Hailikari, T., Nevgi, A. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2007). Exploring alternative ways of assessing prior knowledge, its components and their relation to learning outcomes. A mathematics-based case study. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 33(3–4), 320–337.
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Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Haarala-Muhonen, A., Postareff, L. et al. Exploration of individual study paths of successful first-year students: an interview study. Eur J Psychol Educ 32, 687–701 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0315-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0315-8