Psychoeducational Factors Associated with University Students’ Success and Failure

Abstract

The study was aimed at analysing learning styles, learning strategies, and learning approaches altogether in order to identify psychological variables likely to explain academic achievement in college students. Data were gathered using the locally adapted versions of the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire of Learning Styles, the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, and the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire. Two independent samples of college students were analysed (527 for the exploratory factor analysis; 437 for the path analysis). First, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify which styles, strategies, and approaches loaded on which factor. Second, a path analysis was run to examine the influence of the factors on academic achievement. Results showed that all learning styles, strategies, and approaches were retained, loading on two factors that, afterward, explained academic achievement. Factor 1 joined all the learning strategies from LASSI, Accommodating and Assimilating styles as well as the Deep approach. This factor explained academic achievement positively. Factor 2 grouped Converging and Pragmatist styles, and the Surface approach, explaining academic performance negatively. These findings will be useful for teachers to plan teaching methods targeted at training students’ cognitive, and metacognitive skills. Such enhancement would lead to better academic outcomes.