Which way to go? Approaches to learning for engineering students

This study includes the consideration of learning approaches and self-regulating learning strategies in use by first-year engineering students with the intent to reduce the probability of academic disengagement in future college years due to inadequate academic preparation in the first year. Fifteen engineering students were interviewed to identify their learning approaches and strategies as applied to specific study habits. Certain approaches and strategies were found to be similar for both technical and non-technical courses, while others were dissimilar. The most interesting result was that many participants stated that their overall purpose for studying was to achieve high grades rather than to acquire knowledge, yet their learning strategies often reflected a deeper than expected engagement with learning. This little-explored area of research provides a starting point for guided practice in the use of self-regulated learning strategies for more meaningful learning, mitigating the probability of second-year academic disengagement through more effective academic preparation for higher-level courses.