Learning in formal and informal contexts: conceptions and strategies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students

Research suggests that students' approaches to learning and hence learning outcomes are closely related to their conceptions of learning. This paper d escribes an investigation into conceptions of formal learning held by 22 Ab original and Torres Strait Islander students from three Australian universi ties in Queensland; categories of informal learning, reasons for studying a nd strategies used to learn were also investigated. The attrition rate for these students in tertiary education is higher than that of any other group of students. The main aim of this study was to determine their conceptions of learning in order to provide information that might facilitate instruct ion more suited to their needs in order to address the high attrition rate. Results showed that these students view and approach university learning i n much the same way as other university students. It was also apparent that , for the most part, the strategies these students used did not match the c onceptions of learning they held. An interesting result was the difference between the conceptions of formal learning and perceptions of informal lear ning. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.