Cluster profiles of university students’ conceptions of learning according to gender, educational level, and academic disciplines

Abstract Describing university students’ profiles of conceptions of learning is an important pre-requisite in personalizing a learning process to increase its effectiveness. A person-oriented approach was assumed to identify meaningful profiles of university students’ conceptions referring to cognitive and socio-cultural, affective/motivational, and attributional/regulative components of learning. Profiles were also analyzed in relation to gender, educational level, and academic disciplines. University students (N = 243) completed a validated self-report instrument (LCQ: Learning Conceptions Questionnaire). A non-hierarchical cluster analysis (two-step method) yielded three profiles: “disengaged students”, “overwhelmed by emotions students”, and “helmsman students”. The profiles included strength and vulnerability aspects of university students’ disposition and motivation to learn. The study also revealed interactions between the profiles and gender, educational level, and academic disciplines. These findings are discussed in relation to the current literature, as well as to theoretical and practical implications.