The Impact of Learning Approach and Study Habits on Student Performance in an Undergraduate Human Anatomy Course

Developing effective teaching strategies relies on understanding factors that contribute to student learning. Two areas that are commonly considered in this context are study habits and student learning approaches. While study habits can encompass a wide range of behaviors, learning approach is often viewed on two scales: deep and surface. Although learning approach and study habits are interrelated, they are often looked at in isolation and their impact on student learning is not fully understood. With this in mind, we investigated the relationship between learning approach, study habits, and examination performance in a baccalaureate-level human anatomy course. The revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire was used to determine student learning approach preferences. In addition, an in-house survey was designed to collect data related to the amount of time and distribution effort students used in preparation for examinations. Results indicate that students with a comparatively stronger reliance on a deep approach typically spent more time studying, but other study-related behaviors, such as how study time was distributed, were not consistently correlated with learning approach and learning approach itself was not a strong predictor of examination performance. The most notable finding related to examination performance was that students who increased the amount of time devoted to studying improved significantly, regardless of their learning approach. Overall, these findings highlight the complex nature of student learning and underscore the need to continue refining how learning approach is measured.