MATURE STUDENTS IN HIGHER-EDUCATION .1. A LITERATURE SURVEY ON APPROACHES TO STUDYING

Although mature students are often said to be deficient in study skill s, most research into approaches to studying in higher education has i gnored age as an important explanatory variable. There is nevertheless a consistent suggestion in research using inventories and questionnai res on study processes that mature students exhibit more desirable app roaches to academic learning. In particular, mature students seem to b e more likely than younger students to adopt a deep approach or a mean ing orientation, and conversely they seem to be less likely to adopt a surface approach or a reproducing orientation towards their academic work. Three explanations for this are: that mature students are more m otivated by intrinsic goals; that younger students acquire a surface a pproach to learning in the final years of secondary education; and tha t the prior life experience of mature students promotes a deep approac h towards studying in higher education.