Published Article / The relationship between the big five personality traits, Extraversion, Agreeableness Neuroticism, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience and deep and surface approaches to learning forms the basis of this article. The findings of a research study in this milieu will be presented to prove that earlier studies in this field have been upheld, but that an important deviation has occurred on certain levels of personality. A students way of learning implies the type of learning that is taking place. Ultimately we as lecturers want to encourage deep learning as this stimulates retention of information, important in production of students that are ready for employment.

Em 1974, Marton e Säljö introduziram conceitos qualitativos para as posturas de aprendizagem de estudantes universitários, através de uma atividade de leitura. Os resultados mostraram a presença de duas posturas de aprendizagem para o cumprimento das atividades: uma delas denominada de profunda, onde os estudantes consegue estabelecer relações com o conhecimento prévio, compreendendo de forma profunda o significado do texto; a segunda, denominada de superficial, foi adotada por estudantes preocupados apenas em reter informações, sem que conseguissem estabelecer qualquer tipo de relação com outros conhecimentos. Inspirados por esse trabalho, outros autores começaram a avaliar a presença dessas posturas em diversos países, culturas e estruturas de ensino, e sempre verificaram a presença das posturas profunda e superficial, onde os estudantes profundos obtinham melhores resultados de aprendizagem. Em trabalhos de cunho qualitativo, como os desenvolvido por Biggs, outra categoria foi encontrada e denominada de estratégica. Os estudantes presentes nesse grupo, assumem motivações e estratégias para a obtenção de bons resultados escolares. Considerando as diferenças entre esses grupos de estudantes, procuramos, primeiramente, identificá-los dentre um grupo de 302 alunos da terceira série do Ensino Médio de uma Escola Pública da zona oeste da cidade de São Paulo. Inspirados pelo trabalho de Biggs e pela metodologia LPQ, desenvolvi um instrumento modificado para essa classificação. Identifiquei dez estudantes com postura profunda à aprendizagem (4 do diurno e 6 do noturno), 34 com postura estratégico-profunda (18 do diurno e 16 do noturno) e 258 indefinidos (170 do diurno e 88 do noturno). A partir da identificação dos estudantes profundos e estratégico-profundos, avaliou-se que qualidades são esperadas do bom professor por esses alunos. Os resultados mostram que os estudantes profundos valorizam um professor profissional compromissado, dedicado, com sólida formação específica e pedagógica, e que compreende as diferenças entre os estudantes, é atencioso, repeitoso, amigável. Os demais estudantes, além das características anteriores, valorizam um rigor relacionado à disciplina e à exigência das atividades de avaliação. / In 1974, Marton and Säljö introduced qualitative concepts to identify learning approaches in a reading situation with college students. The results showed two postures adopted to perform these activities: one called deep approach, in which students can establish relationships based in their prior knowledge, understanding the meaning of the text in a deeply and, a second one, called surface approach, which was assumed by students concerned just for withholding information, without relating with another knowledge. Inspired by this work, authors evaluated the presence of these attitudes in different countries, cultures and educational systems, and verified the presence of the deep and surface approaches, where deeper students achieved better results of learning . Considering a qualitative approach, as developed by Biggs, another category was found and defined as the strategic approach. The students of this group use motivations and strategies to get high scores in assessments. Considering the differences among these groups of students, as the first step, I identified in a group of 302 third graders students of a Public High School, located in the western side of city of Sao Paulo. Inspired by the work of Biggs and LPQ methodology, we developed a modified instrument for this classification. I identified ten students with deep approach to learning (4 in the daytime and 6 in the nighttime), 34 students with deep strategic approach (18 in the daytime and 16 in the nighttime) and 258 undefined students. From the deep and deep-strategic students\' identification, we evaluated which qualities of good teacher are expected by these students. The results showed that deep students valued a professional teacher, committed, dedicated, highly qualified and pedagogic, that understand the differences between students, is attentive, court orders, friendly. And that other students, in addition to previous characteristics, are demand knowledge related to the content and the requirement of the evaluation activities.

Em 1974, Marton e Säljö introduziram conceitos qualitativos para as posturas de aprendizagem de estudantes universitários, através de uma atividade de leitura. Os resultados mostraram a presença de duas posturas de aprendizagem para o cumprimento das atividades: uma delas denominada de profunda, onde os estudantes consegue estabelecer relações com o conhecimento prévio, compreendendo de forma profunda o significado do texto; a segunda, denominada de superficial, foi adotada por estudantes preocupados apenas em reter informações, sem que conseguissem estabelecer qualquer tipo de relação com outros conhecimentos. Inspirados por esse trabalho, outros autores começaram a avaliar a presença dessas posturas em diversos países, culturas e estruturas de ensino, e sempre verificaram a presença das posturas profunda e superficial, onde os estudantes profundos obtinham melhores resultados de aprendizagem. Em trabalhos de cunho qualitativo, como os desenvolvido por Biggs, outra categoria foi encontrada e denominada de estratégica. Os estudantes presentes nesse grupo, assumem motivações e estratégias para a obtenção de bons resultados escolares. Considerando as diferenças entre esses grupos de estudantes, procuramos, primeiramente, identificá-los dentre um grupo de 302 alunos da terceira série do Ensino Médio de uma Escola Pública da zona oeste da cidade de São Paulo. Inspirados pelo trabalho de Biggs e pela metodologia LPQ, desenvolvi um instrumento modificado para essa classificação. Identifiquei dez estudantes com postura profunda à aprendizagem (4 do diurno e 6 do noturno), 34 com postura estratégico-profunda (18 do diurno e 16 do noturno) e 258 indefinidos (170 do diurno e 88 do noturno). A partir da identificação dos estudantes profundos e estratégico-profundos, avaliou-se que qualidades são esperadas do bom professor por esses alunos. Os resultados mostram que os estudantes profundos valorizam um professor profissional compromissado, dedicado, com sólida formação específica e pedagógica, e que compreende as diferenças entre os estudantes, é atencioso, repeitoso, amigável. Os demais estudantes, além das características anteriores, valorizam um rigor relacionado à disciplina e à exigência das atividades de avaliação. / In 1974, Marton and Säljö introduced qualitative concepts to identify learning approaches in a reading situation with college students. The results showed two postures adopted to perform these activities: one called deep approach, in which students can establish relationships based in their prior knowledge, understanding the meaning of the text in a deeply and, a second one, called surface approach, which was assumed by students concerned just for withholding information, without relating with another knowledge. Inspired by this work, authors evaluated the presence of these attitudes in different countries, cultures and educational systems, and verified the presence of the deep and surface approaches, where deeper students achieved better results of learning . Considering a qualitative approach, as developed by Biggs, another category was found and defined as the strategic approach. The students of this group use motivations and strategies to get high scores in assessments. Considering the differences among these groups of students, as the first step, I identified in a group of 302 third graders students of a Public High School, located in the western side of city of Sao Paulo. Inspired by the work of Biggs and LPQ methodology, we developed a modified instrument for this classification. I identified ten students with deep approach to learning (4 in the daytime and 6 in the nighttime), 34 students with deep strategic approach (18 in the daytime and 16 in the nighttime) and 258 undefined students. From the deep and deep-strategic students\' identification, we evaluated which qualities of good teacher are expected by these students. The results showed that deep students valued a professional teacher, committed, dedicated, highly qualified and pedagogic, that understand the differences between students, is attentive, court orders, friendly. And that other students, in addition to previous characteristics, are demand knowledge related to the content and the requirement of the evaluation activities.

The purpose of this study was: (a) to examine the predictive utility of the achievement goal and Student Approaches to Learning (SAL) frameworks for characterizing Chinese students’ motivation and achievement, and (b) to investigate how Confucian-heritage culture (CHC) may combine with achievement goals or SAL to generate different learning processes and outcomes and to promote optimal motivation. A questionnaire was conducted during a two-week period with over 700 first-year students who took both of the two courses—college English classes for non-English majors and advanced mathematics classes for science students—at a university in northern China. The questionnaire consisted of students’ self-reported demographic information and the instrument that was designed to measure: (a) goal orientations, (b) attitudes towards the specified CHC values, (c) SAL constructs, and (d) two variables widely used in research in this field—metacognitive strategy and school well-being. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the consistency of the extracted factor solutions with the four goal constructs postulated by the 2 x 2 conceptualization, the two SAL contructs posited by the SAL framework, and the five cultural value contructs derived from the literature review. Standard analysis procedures were used to calculate the reliability of the scales and to determine which items should be retained for further analyses. Then regression analyses were employed to examine the relationship of the goal orientation framework and SAL framework to cultural values, school well-being, metacognitive strategies, and grades. Results indicated that the 2 x 2 achievement goal framework was an appropriate model for characterizing the types of achievement goals these Chinese students pursued and for predicting a number of achievement-relevant processes and outcomes, as was the revised two-factor SAL framework for characterizing the different ways students approached their learning and for predicting these learning processes and outcomes. The results supported Chinese students’ multiple goal pursuit in an additive goal pattern, an interactive goal pattern, or a specialized goal pattern to promote their optimal motivation and achievement. The results also provided evidence that CHC values combined with achievement goals or SAL either in an additive or interactive pattern to facilitate Chinese students’ learning processes and outcomes. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-07-31 12:20:50.812