The Behaviour of Learning: Exploring Independent Study Practices of Undergraduate Heath Science Students

Learning through independent study is a core component of the university teaching method. Students are expected to invest substantial amounts of time in independent learning. However, many universities do not explicitly teach ‘study’ skills as part of formal instruction. This is due to the belief that students enter the university environment with a rudimentary but sound set of study practices. It is expected that students will hone these practices to a higher, more advanced level as they progress through their university education, although these deductions may not be as straightforward as assumed. This article presents an exploratory analysis of independent study practices employed by undergraduate health science students at a research-intensive university. The study design focused on three core areas: observations of study practices within a library setting, the act of note-taking and the student voice on study. Observations involved the use of continuous sampling over punctuated sessions to capture behavioural frequencies. Informal group discussions were used to gain the student voice regarding their perceptions of study. Finally, a number of students submitted copies of their approach to note-taking. The findings showed that for these students, (1) observation of library study practices revealed sustained study was generally poor, (2) that students perceived the programme compelled them to adopt superficial learning practices and (3) surprisingly, we found a number of these students had adopted a note-taking process that literately imitated textbook form.