Self-regulated learning of Natural Sciences and Mathematics future teachers: learning strategies, self-efficacy, and socio-demographic factors

Teacher education programs should have as one of their purposes the promotion of self-regulatory skills for learning among students who aspire to be teachers so that they can take a leading role in their learning and foster these skills in their future students. Considering the importance of knowing what students in teacher education programs do to study and learn, as well as how efficacious they feel to deal with academic demands, this study is part of a larger research and aims to investigate the learning and study strategies and self-efficacy for learning beliefs of 220 students enrolled in teacher education programs in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics of a Higher Education Institution in the state of Piauí, and examine them in relation to age, gender, licentiate area, and course semester. Brazilian translations of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI ­ Third Edition) and the Self-efficacy for Learning Form were used for data collection. Scales were administered in the classrooms both through online platforms and in paper and pencil. Nonparametric inferential statistical pproaches were used to test hypotheses regarding group differences. Statistically significant differences were found in LASSI in relation to gender, licentiate area, and course semester. Overall, students in Physics dealt better with anxiety; in Mathematics showed more favorable attitudes towards learning; in Chemistry reported an aging their time better; in Biological Science showed significantly lower scores on many scales than did other students. Findings from this study could help inform curricular design decisions regarding teacher education programs and inform the design of interventions to strengthen the learning and study strategies and the self-efficacy for learning beliefs of future teachers.

Relationship between Learning Strategies and Academic Achievement in Medical College and Graduate Medical School Students / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: Cognitive researchers assume that learning strategies are related to three types of learning processes: 'surface learning,' 'strategy learning,' and 'deep learning.' A 'deep learning' approach is widely accepted to be associated with long-term success in medical school, contributing to the development of doctors who take desirable approaches to self-directed learning and studying in medical practice. Therefore, this study measured how medical students learn and determined whether the use of learning strategies differs between high and low academic performers. In addition, we compared medical college students with graduate medical school students with regard to the use of learning strategies. METHODS: To explore the learning strategies of students and their relation to academic achievement, we performed LIST (Learning Strategies in Higher Education Inventory) in a sample of 111 Year 1 medical students. RESULTS: Medical students with high academic performance scored higher in most learning strategies than low performers. Additionally, learning strategies were used more frequently by graduate medical school students than medical students, specifically with regard to organization, elaboration, critical thinking, and time management. CONCLUSION: We conclude that learning strategy instruments provide information that enables medical students to optimize their study. To foster deep learning and intrinsic motivation in students, it might also be necessary to adopt more changes in teaching and assessment in medical schools.