Exploring Factors Affecting Students' Deep Approach to Learning in Higher Education: An Empirical Study

Abstract: Survey responses from 858 undergraduates were examined to determine the key factors affecting students' deep approach to learning at two public institutions. Principal component analysis was adopted to eliminate multicollinearity among factors and extract the key influencing factors. A robust multiple linear regression model was built to explore the collective and individual impacts of the key factors on students' deep approach to learning. Data analysis revealed that institutions should put emphasis on 13 key factors that had significant positive influences on students' deep approach to learning, with the strongest impact (β = 0.695, p < .001) coming from educational goals emphasizing synthesizing, analyzing, evaluating information or experience, and problem-solving; and the weakest impact (β = 0.014, p < .001) related to discipline.