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.
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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.
Currently, various higher education (HE) institutes develop flexible curricula for various reasons, including promoting accessibility of HE, the societal need for more self-regulated professionals who engage in life-long learning, and the desire to increase motivation of students. Increasing flexibility in curricula allows students to choose for example what they learn, when they learn, how they learn, where they learn, and/or with whom. However, HE institutes raise the question of what preferences and needs different stakeholders have with regard to flexibility, so that suitable choices can be made in the design of policies, curricula, and student support programs. In this workshop, we focus on student preferences and share recent insights from research on HE students' preferences regarding flexible education. Moreover, we use participants’ expertise to identify new (research) questions to further explore what students’ needs imply for several domains, namely curriculum-design, student support that is provided by educators/staff, policy, management, and the professional field. Firstly, a conceptual framework on flexible education and student’s preferences will be presented. Secondly, participants reflect in groups on student personas. Then, discussion groups have a Delphi-based discussion to collect new ideas for research. Finally, participants share the outcomes on a ‘willing wall’ and a ‘wailing wall’.
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