Abstract
The examination of academic progression has become an essential tool for measuring the effectiveness of educational systems. Research concerning the relationship between student learning and how they progress in their studies, however remains scarce. The aim of this study is two-fold: Firstly, the study aims to analyse first-year bioscience students’ perceptions of their teaching–learning environment and their approaches to learning as well as the relationship of these to academic achievement as measured by students’ progression in studies and how they succeed. Secondly, the present study explores factors students feel either enhance or impede their studying as well as the relationship of those factors with their approaches to learning and academic achievement. The data consist of responses from 188 first-year students who began their studies in the fall 2007 and 2008. The data were collected in a Finnish context with a modified and shortened version of the Experiences in Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (ETLQ). The analyses were carried out using factor analysis, one-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling. According to the results, organised studying was related to both academic progression and study success. In addition, academic progression was positively related to peer support. Furthermore, most of the students found that problems in time management impeded their studies and that pre-set schedules enhanced them. Results indicate that social support and self-regulation skills are important for academic achievement.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amirali, M., Huon, G., & Kevin, B. (2004). Approaches to studying and academic performance in short-essay exams. Higher Education, 47, 161–176.
Armstrong, N., Chang, S.-M., & Brickman, M. (2007). Cooperative learning in industrial-sized biology classes. GBE–Life Sciences Education, 6, 163–171.
Aronen, P. (2005). Bologna process at the University of Helsinki. Policies for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes. University of Helsinki, Administrative Publications 10/2005.
Biggs, J. (1987). Student approaches to learning and studying. Melbourne: Australian council for educational research.
Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham: Open University press.
Bologna Declaration, (1999). Joint declaration of the european ministers of education convened in Bologna at the 19th of June 1999. The European Higher Education Area. http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/bologna_en.html.
Constantini, P., & Vitale, M. P. (2011). Analyzing undergraduate student graduation delay: A longitudinal perspective. In M. Attanasio & V. Capursi (Eds.), Statistical methods for the evaluation of university systems (pp. 145–160). Berlin: Springer.
Diseth, Å. (2003). Personality and approaches to learning as predictors of academic achievement. European Journal of Personality, 17, 143–155.
Diseth, Å. (2007a). Approaches to learning, course experience and examination grade among undergraduate psychology students: Testing of mediator effects and construct validity. Studies in Higher Education, 32, 373–388.
Diseth, Å. (2007b). Students’ evaluation of teaching, approaches to learning, and academic achievement. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 51, 185–204.
Diseth, Å., & Martinsen, Ø. (2003). Approaches to learning, cognitive style, and motives as predictors of academic achievement. Educational Psychology, 23, 195–230.
Duff, A. (2004). Understanding academic performance and progression of first-year accounting and business economics undergraduates: The role of approaches to learning and prior academic achievement. Accounting Education, 13(4), 409–430.
Eley, M. (1992). Differential adoption of study approaches within individual students. Higher Education, 23, 231–254.
Entwistle, N. J. (2009). Teaching for understanding at university: Deep approaches and distinctive ways of thinking. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Entwistle, N., & McCune, V. (2004). The conceptual bases of study strategy inventories. Educational Psychology Review, 16, 245–325.
Entwistle, N., McCune, V., & Hounsell, J. (2003). Investigating ways of enhancing university teaching-learning environments: Measuring students’ approaches to studying and perceptions of teaching. In E. De Corte, L. Verschaffel, N. Entwistle, & J. van Merrienboer (Eds.), Unravelling basic components and dimensions of powerful learning environments (pp. 89–107). Oxford: Elsevier Science.
Entwistle, N., McCune, V., & Walker, P. (2001). Conceptions, styles and approaches within higher education: Analytic abstractions and everyday experience. In R. J. Sternberg & L.-F. Zhang (Eds.), Perspectives on thinking, learning and cognitive styles (pp. 103–136). London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Entwistle, N., & Peterson, E. (2005). Conceptions of learning and knowledge in higher education: Relationships with study behaviour and influences of learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 41, 407–428.
Entwistle, N., & Ramsen, P. (1983). Understanding student learning. London: Croom Helm.
Entwistle, N., & Tait, H. (1990). Approaches to learning, evaluating of teaching, and preferences for constructing academic environments. Higher Education, 19, 169–194.
Entwistle, N., Tait, H., & McCune, V. (2000). Patterns of response to approaches to studying inventory across constructing groups and contexts. European Journal of Psychology of Education, XV(1), 33–48.
Haarala-Muhonen, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Parpala, A., & Komulainen, E. (2011). High and low achievers’ approaches to learning among first-year law students. Manuscript under review.
Haarala-Muhonen, A., Ruohoniemi, M., Katajavuori, N., & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (in press a). Comparison of students’ perceptions of their teaching-learning environments in three professional academic disciplines. A valuable tool for quality enhancement. Learning Environments Research.
Haarala-Muhonen, A., Ruohoniemi, M., & Lindblom-Ylänne,S. (in press b). Factors affecting the study pace of first-year law students. In search of counselling tools. Studies in Higher Education.
KOTA database. Ministry of Education, Finland. http://www.csc.fi/kota/kota.html.
Kreber, C. (2003). The relationship between students’ course perception and their approaches to studying in undergraduate science courses: a Canadian experience. Higher Education and Development, 22, 57–70.
Lawless, C., & Richardson, J. T. E. (2002). Approaches to studying and perceptions of academic quality in distance education. Higher Education, 44, 257–282.
Lindblom-Ylänne, S., & Lonka, K. (1999). On the predictive value of entry-level skills for successful studying in medical school. Higher Education, 37, 239–258.
Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Trigwell, K., Nevgi, A., & Ashwin, P. (2006). How approaches to teaching are affected by discipline and teaching context. Studies in Higher Education, 31, 285–298.
Lizzio, A., Wilson, K., & Simons, K. (2002). University students’ perceptions of the learning environment and academic outcomes: Implications for theory and practice. Studies in Higher Education, 27, 27–52.
Marton, F., Hounsell, D., & Entwistle, N. (Eds.). (1997). The experience of learning. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Academic Press.
Marton, F., & Säljö, R. (1976). On qualitative differences in learning I—outcome and process. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 46, 4–11.
Marton, F., & Säljö, R. (1997). Approaches to learning. In F. Marton, D. Hounsell, & N. Entwistle (Eds.), The experience of learning (Second ed., pp. 166–176). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Academic Press.
McCune, V. (2004). Promoting high-quality learning. Perspectives from the ETL project. UNIPED, 27, 4–25.
Munro, B. (1997). Statistical methods for health care research (Third ed.). Lippincott, Philadelphia: Raven Publishers.
Myllylä, J., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Korvenranta, S., & Mattila, A. (2007). Käyttäytymistieteellisen tiedekunnan opiskelijoiden kokemuksia oppimisesta ja opetuksesta. [Students’ experiences of learning and teaching in the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences]. Pedagogica, 26, 1–63. The University of Helsinki.
OECD. (2002). Education at a glance: OECD indicators 2002. Paris: OECD.
OECD. (2009). Education at a glance: OECD indicators 2009. Paris: OECD.
Parpala, A. (2010). Exploring the experiences and conceptions of good teaching in higher education. Development of a questionnaire for assessing students’ approaches to learning and experiences of the teaching-learning environment. Doctoral Dissertation. University of Helsinki, Institute of Behavioural Sciences. Studies in Educational Sciences 230. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press.
Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Komulainen, E., & Entwistle, N. (2011). Assessing students’ experiences of teaching-learning environments and approaches to learning: Validation of a questionnaire used in different countries and varying contexts. Learning Environments Research Accepted for publication.
Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, 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. Unpublished manuscript.
Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Komulainen, E., Litmanen, T., & Hirsto, L. (2010). Students approaches to learning and their experiences of the teaching-learning environment in different disciplines. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 269–282.
Prosser, M., & Trigwell, K. (1999). Understanding learning and teaching. the experience in higher education. Philadelphia: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
Reid, W. A., Duvall, E., & Evans, P. (2007). Relationship between assessment results and approaches to learning and studying in year two medical students. Medical Education, 41, 754–762.
Richardson, J. T. E. (2005). Students’ perceptions of academic quality and approaches to studying in distance education. British Educational Research Journal, 31, 7–27.
Richardson, J. T. E. (2006). Investigating the relationship between variations in students` perceptions of their academic environment and variations in study behaviour in distance education. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 867–893.
Román, S., Cuestas, P., & Fenollar, P. (2008). An examination of the interrelatonships between self-esteem, others’ expectations, family support, learning approaches and academic achievement. Studies in Higher Education, 33, 127–138.
Ruohoniemi, M., & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2009). Students’ experiences concerning course workload and factors enhancing and impeding their learning—a useful resource for quality enhancement in teaching and curriculum planning. International Journal of Academic Development, 14, 69–81.
Ruohoniemi, M., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., & Katajavuori, N. (2010). Relationships between students’ approaches to learning, perceptions of the teaching-learning environment, and study success. A case study of third-year veterinary students. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 37, 282–288.
Sadlo, G., & Richardson, J. T. E. (2003). Approaches to studying and perceptions of the academic environment in students following problem-based and subject-based curricula. Higher Education Research and Development, 22, 253–274.
Virtanen, V., & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2009). University students’ and teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning in the biosciences. Instructional Science, 38, 355–370.
Watters, D., & Watters, J. (2007). Approaches to learning by students in the biological sciences: Implications for teaching. International Journal of Science Education, 29, 19–43.
Ylijoki, O. (2000). Disciplinary cultures and the moral order of studying. A case-study of four Finnish university departments. Higher Education, 39, 339–362.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rytkönen, H., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. et al. Factors affecting bioscience students’ academic achievement. Instr Sci 40, 241–256 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-011-9176-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-011-9176-3