IMPROVING THE STUDY BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS - EVALUATION BY MEASURES BY MEANS OF A TRAINING-PROGRAM

The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the study training p rogram of Gunther, Heinze & Schott (1977). Law students served as subj ects in an experiment using a pre-post-design with a waiting control g roup. The intervention extended over a four week period, Study effecti veness and the strategy in dealing with scientific literature were aft er this short period already improved, but no immediate effect was fou nd for the amount of study time invested and for the memory efficiency in a text-test. In a one year follow-up, the participants themselves accordingly reported improvements primarily in study effectiveness and in dealing with scientific literature. Only a few subjects, however, reported increases in study time. The only perceived change directly f ollowing the training had been the feeling that they know more about t he reasons for their study problems. On the whole, the evaluations of the program were quite positive. One year afterwards, nearly all parti cipants had recommended the program to other students.