The preference of students in competence-based Pre-Vocational Secondary Education (PVSE) for information processing strategies and the development of their body of knowledge were measured in a study that was carried out with 31 participants. The students' information processing strategies were measured by means of semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and think-aloud sessions. 26 of the 31 participants had a preference for surface processing strategies when working in workplace simulation. The other 5 students preferred deep learning. The learning environment appeared to elicit this surface level processing. The development of the body of knowledge of the students was measured by means of the concept mapping technique. For most students, an improvement of the body of knowledge took place in the course of the project in workplace simulation that was researched. Their knowledge became more elaborate and better organized. No significant relations between information processing strategies and the development of the concept maps could be found for the students participating in the research.
The purpose of this study was to investigate relations between goal orientations, information processing strategies and development of conceptual knowledge of pre-vocational secondary education students (n=719; 14 schools). Students' preferences for certain types of goals and information processing strategies were examined using questionnaires. Conceptual knowledge was investigated by having students create concept maps before and after a learning project. Structural analyses showed that student preferences for mastery and performance goals positively affected their preferences for the use of deep and surface information processing strategies. Preferences for work avoidance goals negatively influenced preferences for deep and surface processing. Use of surface information processing strategies negatively affected the development of conceptual knowledge. Remarkably, no relation was found between students' preferences for deep processing strategies and development of conceptual knowledge.
The purpose of this study is to gain insight in the development of student knowledge in PVSE-schools that differ in the way and extent in which they are implementing characteristics of competence-based education. The implementation of these characteristics was examined by means of a questionnaire.The development of student knowledge was investigated by means of the concept mapping method in the course of which a pretest was compared to a posttest. When looking at the general typifications of the learning environments the students were in, students developed slightly more knowledge in learning situations which corresponded less with the characteristics of competence-based learning environments. Student guidance and accompanying variables appeared to be distinguishing characteristics for the development of student knowledge. Students developed more knowledge in learning situations in which guidance was combined with students' self-direction and in which all forms of guidance were often provided during the whole educational trajectory.
