Strategies in preparation for learning and during lectures: Using path analysis to develop a relational model

Abstract

The present study examined relations between learning motives and strategies used in preparation and during lectures on learning English. Factor analysis of the data from a pilot study conducted to develop a questionnaire about strategies in preparation and during lectures identified 4 factors relating to strategies in preparation : "looking up", "conjecturing meanings", "reviewing previous texts", and "help seeking", and 3 factors relating to strategies during lectures : "grasping the main points", "note-taking", and "passive listening". In the main study, Japanese high school students (N = 1,148) completed a questionnaire composed of items about learning motives and strategies used in preparation and during lectures. Path analysis revealed a relation between learning motives and strategies used in both preparation and during lectures, and a relation between preparation strategies and strategies during lectures. These results suggest that there is a direct relation between preparation strategies and strategies during lectures, so that teaching students preparation strategies, as well as intervening with respect to learning motives, might be useful for fostering effective strategies during lectures.