Factors Predicting Middle School Pupils’ Learning Orientations: A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

Investigating on what school- and student-level factors are related to pupils’ learning orientations was the main purpose of this study. The study used a sample of 2917 middle school pupils across Turkey. The Test of Science Related Attitude, Learning Approach Questionnaire and the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire were utilised as data collection tools. Analysis revealed that there were significant differences in pupils’ learning orientations with respect to both meaningful learning orientation and rote learning orientation. When learning and motivational factors were examined it was found that performance goal orientation and learning goal orientation positively contributed to both meaningful learning and rote learning orientations. Upon examination of sub-dimensions of attitudes toward science, it was determined that the adaptation of scientific attitudes and leisure interest in science made positive and significant contributions to meaningful learning orientation while enjoyment of science lessons contributed to students’ meaningful learning orientation negatively. With respect to rote learning orientation, both adaptation of scientific attitudes and enjoyment of science lessons negatively contributed.

Factors Related to Cognitive Reasoning of Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Process Skills: Role of Experiments at Home on Meaningful Learning

“…This being the case, the student will fail to formulate a conceptual link and is likely to develop a tendency to rote-memorize scientific information. In essence, rote-learning prevents the meaningful understanding of concepts, as noted extensively in the literature (Bou Jaoude, 1992; Cavallo, Rozman, Blickenstaff, and Walker, 2003; Cavallo, 1996; Cavallo, Rozman, and Potter, 2004; Cavallo, Rozman, Larabee, and Ishi-kawa, 2001; Hacieminoglu, 2021) [50,51,[54][55][56][57].…”