Record Detail

This study investigated the extent to whichlearning approaches can be accounted for by personalfactors (i.e., demographics, ability, and personality). Theparticipants were 443 students in a university in mainlandChina. The Revised Two-factor Study Process Question-naire, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3, and the short formof Raven’s Advanced Progress Matrices were respectivelyapplied to test students’ learning approaches, personality,and ability. The results of correlations and structuralequation modeling indicated that male students were morelikely to be deep learners than female students; relative toYear-one students, Year-three students were more likely touse the surface learning approach and less likely to use thedeep learning approach. Openness to experience and con-scientiousness had strong positive effects on the deeplearning approach. Neuroticism had positive effect,whereas conscientiousness had negative effect on the sur-face learning approach. Approximately 44 % of the vari-ance in the deep learning approach and approximately18 % of the variance in the surface learning approach couldbe explained by the three personal factors. Personality wasthe strongest predictor of learning approaches, whereasability was the weakest predictor. The implications of theresults were discussed