Discriminant Analysis of Study Strategies Connected With College Grade Success in Different Major Fields

A study techniques questionnaire was administered to 538 students enrolled in upper division college classes. Multivariate analysis of variance was employed to compare the centroids of questionnaire responses of students in four major fields who had above and below average grades. There were significant differences in group centroids for the comparison between major fields and between grade levels. There was no significant interaction. The major differences between students with above and below average grades appeared to be reflected in “clerical diligence” and cognitive “activity.” Successful students were not only more diligent in their study habits, but also more likely to transform actively scholastic information. For the comparison of major field groups, two discriminant functions were significant. One function seemed to reflect mathematical‐logical thinking while the other reflected “applied‐subjective” thinking. The major field groups formed a science‐nonscience continuum on the first function but not on the second.