Leerbenaderings en akademiese prestasie van EBW-onderwysstudente

Abstract

Een van die groot probleme in die ho'ronderwyssisteem is dat die deurvloeisyfers nie na wense is nie. 'n Groot aantal studente skryf in vir 'n graad maar voltooi dit nie binne die voorgeskrewe tydperk nie. Een van die mees prominente faktore waaraan hierdie probleem volgens navorsers toegeskryf kan word, is studente se leerbenadering, wat weer bepaal word deur hulle leermotiewe en leerstrategie'. Die doelstelling vir hierdie studie was om die leerbenaderings van EBW-onderwysstudente te bepaal.Die gevalideerde Hersiene Studie Proses Vraelys soos opgestel deur Biggs et al. (2001:148) is gebruik om die leerbenaderings te bepaal. Daar is bevind dat die diepleer-benadering in al vier jare meer gebruik word as die oppervlakkigeleer-benadering en dat die diepleer-benadering tussen die eerste en die tweede jaar toeneem, maar in die derde en vierde jaar afneem, moontlik omdat studente nader aan die einde van hulle studie poog om op 'n vinnige en effektiewe wyse te studeer. Rakende korrelasies tussen akademiese prestasie en leerbenaderings is bevind dat dit slegs by tweedejaars statisties en prakties betekenisvol was. Hoe ho'r hulle akademiese prestasie hoe minder het hulle van die oppervlakkigeleer-benadering gebruik gemaak. Die navorsers is van mening dat studente reeds van hulle eerste jaar af deur die gebruik van verskeie onderrigmetodes aangemoedig moet word om van die diepleer-benadering gebruik te maak. ABSTRACT: Irrespective of the 19 years of democracy in South Africa, which provided equal educational opportunities for school children of all races and genders, the throughput rate of students who are taken in at Higher Education Institutions is not satisfactory, due to certain problems such as lack of preparedness of students and staff, the nature of teaching and learning, the appropriateness of content, assessment methods, and the lack of professionalism of academic staff which students experience before and during their studies. A recent study by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) revealed that approximately 55% of the first-year students who enrol will never graduate (CHE 2013:15). One of the most prominent factors mentioned in the literature that may play a role in their poor academic performance is students' learning approach, determined by their learning motives and learning strategies. The broad aim of this study was to compare the deep and surface learning approaches of first-, second-, third- and fourth-year Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) education students with one another as well as among the various year groups, and also to the students' academic performance in the first to fourth year. The validated Revised Study Process Questionnaire (RSPQ) compiled by Biggs, Kember and Leung (2001:148) was used to determine the learning approaches. The questionnaire was validated for this specific study population by investigating validity through content and construct validity, applying a confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was assessed by computing Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The study population consisted of the total number of students enrolled for Economic and Management Sciences in the Faculty of Education at the North-West University (NWU) Potchefstroom Campus. These included first-year- (n = 62), second-year- (n = 79), third-year- (n = 57) and fourth-year- (n = 62) EMS education students.