Abstract:

Student approach to learning is influenced by various factors. Contextual factors are one of the most important like university program, teaching methodology, assessment system or subject. Election of the subject is determined by the program of the degree if the topic is compulsory or by the election of the student if it is an elective topic. General Genetics is a basic subject for most of Agriculture and Biotechnology university programs. This subject normally is in the first years of the program and students are quite motivated for the topic. In Universitat Politècnica de València in the Biotechnology Bachelor program, the subject is in the first term of the first year and all the students register in the subject as it is compulsory. The student approach to learning of the students in this subject was measured at the beginning of the term with the R-SPQ-2F questionnaire in two academic years. One before the pandemic COVID disease and another after the COVID19. The student approach to learning showed a high deep approach and a lower surface approach in both academic with no differences regarding gender or language of instruction for the main scales of the questionnaire. Most of the students showed high values of deep approach and low values of surface approach but some students showed the opposite values (6% of the students). The internal consistency of the questionnaire was high for the main scales and lower for the subscales. High correlation coefficients were observed between the main scales and their related subscales. The results showed no change before and after the COVID19 indicating that students seek to learn this topic and that their expectations are high. Teaching methodologies should take advantage of this results to maintain and increase the deep approach of these students.

Keywords:

R-SPQ-2F questionnaire, deep and surface approach, assessment, teaching methodologies.