School Environment and Sixth Form Pupils‘ Approaches to Learning

S ummary . The paper presents results from a study of Australian pupils in their final year of secondary schooling. The investigation is based on a model of the relation between pupils' perceptions, approaches to learning and learning outcomes derived from the work of Biggs in Australia and Entwistle and Ramsden in Britain. Between‐school differences in perceptions of sixth form environments and their pupils' approaches to learning in three school sectors and 50 schools are identified. A key finding is that perceived school environments and pupils' learning are related in a systematic way. School environments offering supportive teaching, coherent structure, emphasis on autonomy and moderate stress on achievement are associated with learning involving an active search for understanding, organised study methods and avoidance of superficial approaches. Schools characterised by extreme emphasis on formal academic achievement, in which teaching is narrowly focused on examination success, are associated with a tendency towards minimalist, reproductive and uncompromisingly competitive approaches to learning. Interview results are presented that offer support for a causal interpretation of these relations. Examination performance is found to be negatively correlated with surface approach and positively, but very weakly, correlated with deep approach. Some implications of the findings for school effectiveness research are outlined.