CULTURAL SPECIFICITY OF APPROACHES TO STUDYING IN HIGHER-EDUCATION - A COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION USING THE APPROACHES TO STUDYING INVENTORY

An investigation was carried out on approaches to learning among stude nts at a university in the United States using a short form of the App roaches to Studying Inventory. The factor structure of their responses was qualitatively different from that obtained in a previous investig ation of students in the United Kingdom. Although the broad distinctio n between a meaning orientation to studying and a reproducing orientat ion to studying was replicated, the factor composition of these orient ations was radically different from the subscale structure of the inve ntory. These findings indicate that these basic study orientations are interpreted in a manner that is distinctive to each particular cultur al context.