Study behaviors used by students during preparation for academic performance tests

Authors

  • João Fernando Rech Wachelke
  • Sílvio Paulo Botomé

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v9i1.3294

Keywords:

study procedures, study behavior, performance demand

Abstract

Thinking about what is being studied, through writing about a text with one’s own words for example, is preferable to mere repetition. Students who use frequently such behavior of content elaboration often are probably effective and achieve good academic performance. Thus, it is relevant to investigate whether there are differences in the frequency of use of study procedures during the preparation for an academic test on the part of students who are successful and unsuccessful in it. One hundred and forty-five subjects took part on the study, 53 of whom had been approved in the entrance examinations for a challenger university course, and 56 who had been failed in it; 23 individuals approved in exams with average difficulty and 13 who had failed it also participated. They answered a questionnaire on the frequency of use of study procedures during the preparation for the exam, grouped by level of complexity, from superficial procedures like underlining, to complex ones such as solving exercises. The analysis of the results shows that procedures involving the resolution of exercises probably offer a higher contribution for the approval in university admission exams and similar tests, since a higher frequency of successful individuals used those practices more than the individuals who failed. The same was not clearly observed concerning other procedures. Possible explanations for the efficacy of exercise-solving, consequences of these findings for educational institutions and suggestions for further studies are also discussed.

Keywords: study procedures; study behavior; performance demand.

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Published

2005-10-13

How to Cite

Wachelke, J. F. R., & Botomé, S. P. (2005). Study behaviors used by students during preparation for academic performance tests. Interação Em Psicologia, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v9i1.3294

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2005)

Section

Articles

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