Student perceptions of writing an essay in relation to deep and surface approaches to learning in higher education language courses
Abstract
Writing an essay, or a seminar paper as it is usually called in the Czech Republic, is a common part of HE courses including language courses. There is, however, very little research to provide evidence how student perceive these tasks, whether they see them as a valuable tool for promoting their own learning or as a formal way for getting credits.
But this, in fact, can be understood as a reflection of using deep and surface approaches to learning and study. Based on various models of approaches to study developed by Biggs (1987, 2011), Entwistle (1983, 2018) or Vermunt (1997), deep and surface approaches to study are adopted to suit different purposes of learning.
Deep approaches to study go typically beyond the assigned tasks, tap into deep processing strategies and develop a fuller understanding of the subject matter. This study behaviour is in contrast with the surface approach that focuses on fulfilling tasks at the minimal level of requirements and relying on reproducing the knowledge presented as facts, definitions and classifications rather than systems of relations, causes and consequences.
These different approaches to study and learning are well reflected in the responses of students when being assigned with writing a seminar paper and their questions about what exactly, how much, in which way and when the paper should be submitted. This small-scale cross-sectional study is planned for the spring 2020 among the BA students of Tourism and Air Transport Services.
It will collect evidence on how students relate to writing a seminar paper, what preferences they have for various formats, topic assignments, forms of assessment and feedback. Another aim is to find out how they relate to courses or sessions based to a great extent on presenting seminar papers in the form of a student presentation.
Preliminary results from other studies conducted in the context of HE education indicate that students are often unaware of approaches to learning or have confusing or mixed perceptions, others report feelings of formal duty, dissatisfaction and boredom. Thus the study also seeks to find out which types, formats and assessment are endowed with the capacity to encourage engagement and deep learning and which types should be abandoned or adjusted to prevent surface approaches to learning.
The results will include recommendations for classroom practices with the aim to employ the insights into learning strategies and make them more visible both for the students and the teachers, and generally promote better teaching and better learning. To take this further, the assignment of any seminar paper or a presentation designed for university language learners should challenge their cognitive strategies and engage them in finding the underlying structure of knowledge to promote deep approaches to learning but also support their reflective and self-assessment skills to plan and design their own study.