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A study of secondary three students’ conceptions of geography, learning preferences and their achievements
Author
Tan, Karen Seok Hoon
Supervisor
Teo, Chua Tee
Abstract
This study seeks to examine the relationships between secondary students‟ conceptions of Geography, learning preferences and their corresponding academic achievements. The study investigates how learning approaches to Geography are influenced by their conceptions. This study first compares the Geography achievement scores of high and low achievers on each of the three learning approaches, namely deep, surface and strategic approach. The study then examines possible differences in Geography achievement amongst the students adopting the three different learning approaches. In addition, the study explores the possible influence of other factors related to each learning approach, such as alertness to assessment demands, lack of purpose and syllabus-boundness on the academic results of the high and low achievers.
The study involved 133 Geography students from an all-girls‟ school in Singapore. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) survey was administered to determine the learning approaches of the students. Independent t- tests and ANOVAs were used to test the hypotheses. Semi-structured interviews were also carried out with three students to determine their conceptions of Geography and how these influenced their preferred learning approaches for the subject.
The results showed that high achievers obtained significantly higher Geography achievement scores than the low achievers, whether they were adopting the deep or surface approach. ANOVA results showed that students employing the strategic approach obtained significantly higher Geography mean scores than those adopting the deep or the surface approach. The results also indicated that the high achievers were more motivated to excel in their studies, were alert to assessment demands and had good time management skills. The low achievers, on the other hand, preferred to focus their efforts on content which was within the syllabus and lacked purpose in studying Geography. The results of the interviews showed that students had a range of conceptions, from a static view of Geography to a dynamic view with interrelationships between concepts to provide a complete picture of the subject. It appears that by nurturing the appropriate conceptions of Geography, students would then be more inclined towards adopting the strategic approach, and hence achieve their desired academic goals.
The study involved 133 Geography students from an all-girls‟ school in Singapore. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) survey was administered to determine the learning approaches of the students. Independent t- tests and ANOVAs were used to test the hypotheses. Semi-structured interviews were also carried out with three students to determine their conceptions of Geography and how these influenced their preferred learning approaches for the subject.
The results showed that high achievers obtained significantly higher Geography achievement scores than the low achievers, whether they were adopting the deep or surface approach. ANOVA results showed that students employing the strategic approach obtained significantly higher Geography mean scores than those adopting the deep or the surface approach. The results also indicated that the high achievers were more motivated to excel in their studies, were alert to assessment demands and had good time management skills. The low achievers, on the other hand, preferred to focus their efforts on content which was within the syllabus and lacked purpose in studying Geography. The results of the interviews showed that students had a range of conceptions, from a static view of Geography to a dynamic view with interrelationships between concepts to provide a complete picture of the subject. It appears that by nurturing the appropriate conceptions of Geography, students would then be more inclined towards adopting the strategic approach, and hence achieve their desired academic goals.
Date Issued
2012
Call Number
G76.5.S55 Tan
Date Submitted
2012