APPROACHES TO STUDYING - AGE, GENDER AND ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE

A total of 245 business studies students (115 females and 130 males) r esponded to the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI). Consi stent with earlier studies, the purposes of the present study were (i) to examine some of the psychometric properties of the RASI; (ii) to i nvestigate whether the RASI was predictive of academic success; and (i ii) to investigate the effects of gender, age and programme of study o n approaches to studying. The data were analysed using principal compo nents factor analysis. The resulting fit of the RASI subscales to the hypothesised structure was good, thus providing support for the notion s of deep, surface and strategic approaches and the lack of direction and academic self-confidence orientations. The reliability a the 'lack of direction' subscale was low. The RASl's ability to predict academi c performance investigated using a range of learning performance measu res. These data were further analysed in terms of degree programme. Su bjects' mean scores on each of the scales were analysed in terms a age and gender. This revealed a number a significant effects. These findi ngs, and the use of the RASI, are discussed in terms of their implicat ions for the requirements for increased learner autonomy in further an d higher education.