Approaches to Studying Academic Achievement and Autonomy in Students on Sports Related Programmes in Higher Education.

The existence of different ‘approaches to studying’ in sports students and their relation to academic achievement and perceived autonomy have not previously been examined.
Students (n=338) completed the Approaches to Studying Questionnaire (ASQ), and indicated their perceived level of autonomy. The subscales of the ASQ were not supported, with only modest internal consistency observed for the two reduced-item deep and surface orientation subscales. No gender difference was apparent for deep orientation but females were significantly higher on surface orientation (P<0.01). Weak but significant relationships were found between deep orientation and level of autonomy, and grade category (P<0.001). Mature students (aged over 21 at entry into higher education) demonstrated significantly higher deep and significantly lower surface orientation.