Tertiary students' locus of control and approaches to studying

Abstract

Students today fuce increasing demands and challenges. This has important implications for education and its relevance in a rapidly changing world. It is against this background that the problem ofsuccess or failure at tertiary level, especially in the first year of study, is particularly significant as is evident from increased interest in and research undertaken into the factors and determinants involved in success or failure. Two variables that have received considerable attention in recent studies are (1) approaches to studying and (2) locus of control. They have been investigated both as independent factors and as part of a cluster of factors, but the relationship between these two variables has not yet been explored within the technikon context. In terms of students' approaches to studying there are two important schools of thought. One model (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983) focuses on qualitative differences between the different categories ofapproaches to studying. In terms ofthis model students are classified as either using a reproducing/surface, a meaningldeep or an achieving/strategic approach. The 'Qualitative Individual Differences' model (Meyer, Parsons & Dunne, 1990a; 1990b), emphasises the qualitative individual differences in terms ofstudents' approaches to studying. This model defines the concept ofstudy orchestration as the contextualised study approach individual or groups of students adopt. The term orchestration captures the unique nature of individual approaches to studying viewed as a qualitative responsive approach to a qualitatively perceived educational context. The first model therefore views approaches to studying mainly from the point ofview of categorical differences, whereas the second focuses on qualitative individual (across and within categories) differences. In this study students' approaches to studying were measured by the Extended Approaches to Studying Inventory (EASI), a variation on the original Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) developed by Entwistle & Ramsden (1983)