Latent structure of learning goals and strategies

Abstract

A review of the relevant literature demonstrates disagreement regarding the number and nature of factors that affect learning goals and strategies, as well as whether the goals and strategies may be treated as separate groups of phenomena. In order to clarify this controversy, a sample of 364 Belgrade University students was given an instrument consisting of 94 indicators taken from a larger number of available instruments that measure approaches to learning, goal orientations and learning strategies. Factor analysis, applied on the obtained data, showed that six first-order factors related to learning goals and seven first-order factors related to learning strategies explain the latent structure of the phenomenon. Then, second order factor analysis was applied on the pool of obtained factor scores. The assumption that learning goals and strategies share a similar latent structure was confirmed. The results show that a large number of these factors can be predominantly reduced to three latent dimensions: deep approach, surface approach, and achievement approach. The paper suggests that precise operationalisation of the achievement approach is required in the future research.