HKIER

Abstract

Two seemingly conflicting stereotypes exist about Asian students: (i) they are committed to a low level, rote-biased (or "surface") approach to learning; (ii) they achieve disproportionately well, particularly at tertiary level. Evidence for the former view is mostly anecdotal, often extrapolated from what appear to be unfavourable teaching environments; evidence favouring the second view comes from a variety of sources. In the present study, students from Hong Kong portrayed a profile of motives and learning strategies that suggested a more "academic" approach to learning and studying than that of Australian secondary and tertiary students. Given also that Asians' attributions for academic success are more controllable, and therefore more amenable to intervention, than are those of Western students, questions might be asked about the "fit" of teaching methods to students' characteristic approaches to learning.

摘要

關於亞洲學生學習方法的類型，似乎有兩種互相抵觸的觀點：（1）他們的習慣方法是一種低層次，以背誦為主（或“表面”）的習慣法；（2）他們有超乎比例的成就，尤其在高等教育方面。關於第一個觀點時有聽聞，證據往往引伸自不大理想的教學環境。關於第二個觀點，也可從不同的來源得到證據。按本研究所得，從香港學生的動機和學習策略可繪畫出圖畫看來，香港的學生比澳洲的大專和中學學生的學習方法更為“學術”取向。比起西方的學生，亞洲學生的學術成就歸因比較容易控制，所以也較容易干預來測試。研究結果引起很多問題，例如我們的教學方法是否能與學生的學習取向配合。