Approaches to Studying: age, gender and academic performance

Abstract

A total of 245 business studies students (115 females and 130 males) responded to the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI). Consistent with earlier studies, the purposes of the present study were (i) to examine some of the psychometric properties of the RASI; (ii) to investigate whether the RASI was predictive of academic success; and (iii) to investigate the effects of gender, age and programme of study on approaches to studying. The data were analysed using principal components factor analysis. The resulting fit of the RASI subscales to the hypothesised structure was good, thus providing support for the notions of deep, surface and strategic approaches and the lack of direction and academic self‐confidence orientations. The reliability of the ‘lack of direction’ subscale was low. The RASI's ability to predict academic performance investigated using a range of learning performance measures. These data were further analysed in terms of degree programme. Subjects’ mean scores on each of the scales were analysed in terms of age and gender. This revealed a number of significant effects. These findings, and the use of the RASI, are discussed in terms of their implications for the requirements for increased learner autonomy in further and higher education.