CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING AMONG NEPALESE STUDENTS

The paper presents a phenomenographic study of conceptions of academic learning among Nepalese students. Students from various disciplines a t the Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu were interviewed about their u nderstanding and experience of learning. The results are related to pr evious studies in Nepal, using Bigg's Study Process Questionnaire and written responses to open questions. They are also compared to similar phenomenographic studies carried out in the East as well as the West. The present study indicates, among other things, that Nepali students look upon memorising and understanding as interlinked in a way not us ually found among Western students. The results are described within a two-dimensional outcome space, derived from previous studies of learn ing experience conducted in various cultural settings, and providing a general framework for different conceptions of learning.