Motivations, Learning, Approaches, and Strategies in Biochemistry Students at a Public University in Argentina

Authors

  • Silvia Raquel Salim Instituto de Microbiología Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia Universidad Nacional de Tucumán

Keywords:

Student motivation, educational strategies, learning approaches.

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to understand how university students learn, and to comprehend the motivations and learning strategies they use when deciding in what field to major. We chose a combined research design: qualitative and quantitative. We applied the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Learning and Studying Processes (CEPEA) to Biochemistry students attending the National University of Tucumán (Argentina), and performed individual semi-structured interviews. Cluster analysis allowed us to identify three groups of students having who use different learning approaches: deep, superficial and ambivalent. We found that learning approaches are closely related with some teaching practices that encourage or inhibit them; among these are the types of learning evaluation.

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References

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Published

2006-05-01

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