Associations between learning environment variables and students’ approaches to studying: a cross-sectional study

BMC Medical Education

Table 4 Hierarchical linear regression analyses showing adjusted associations with scores on the study approach scales

Independent variables	Deep approach		Strategic approach		Surface approach
Sociodemographic variables	β	p	β	p	β	p
Age	0.13	< 0.05	0.01	0.90	−0.12	0.07
Sex	−0.07	0.32	0.18	< 0.05	0.02	0.73
Time on independent study	0.10	0.13	0.23	< 0.01	− 0.01	0.82
Priority line of study	−0.02	0.81	0.07	0.34	−0.18	< 0.01
Prior higher education	0.16	< 0.05	0.01	0.86	−0.02	0.79
Explained variance	6.2%	< 0.05	7.7%	< 0.05	7.5%	< 0.05
Learning environment
Clear goals and standards	−0.13	0.10	0.14	0.09	−0.16	< 0.05
Student autonomy	0.00	> 0.99	0.12	0.18	0.15	0.06
Good teaching	0.08	0.39	−0.01	0.92	0.02	0.85
Appropriate workload	−0.10	0.17	0.07	0.39	−0.42	< 0.001
Generic skills	0.51	< 0.001	0.18	< 0.05	−0.24	< 0.01
R²change	24.5%	< 0.001	13.2%	< 0.001	29.4%	< 0.001
Explained variance	30.7%	< 0.001	20.9%	< 0.001	36.9%	< 0.001

Table content is standardized beta (β) values with corresponding significance (p) levels. The variable ‘Time on independent study’ is average number of hours spent on independent studying during a typical week. Men were coded ‘0’ and women ‘1’, i.e., women had higher scores on the strategic approach to studying

ISSN: 1472-6920