‘Approaches to learning’ research in higher education: a response to Haggis

This article responds to the concerns raised by Haggis in 2003 regarding the use of approaches to learning theory in higher education. It is argued that the misrepresentations of the theory observed in the literature are not a reason for discarding the theory entirely. This article reasserts key features of the theory, argues for its relevance to mass higher education, and suggests that the incorporation of other theoretical perspectives would be appropriate.