An examination of the interrelationships between workload, study time, learning approaches and academic outcomes

ABSTRACT Interrelationships between learning approaches, study motivation, hours of study, perceived workload, English language ability and grade point average were investigated. A total of 174 students, who had enrolled in a mechanical engineering degree course, completed a study diary for 1 week. The diary was divided into hourly recording periods with spaces for both quantitative and qualitative responses. The quantitative data yielded variables for learning approaches and motivations, English ability, perceived workload, time spent in class, time spent on private study and grade point average. These variables were linked in a path model. Case-studies were used to illustrate and explain the model. The variables in the model were weakly interrelated. Perceived workload, therefore, depends upon motivation as well as the amount of work. Grade point average did improve somewhat with hours of work, but students could work long hours and still obtain poor grades because they used inappropriate learning approaches.