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Students' understanding of theory in undergraduate education.
- Source :
- Teaching in Higher Education; May2014, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p419-431, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- This paper investigates undergraduate students' application of theory in their analysis of problems presented in authentic leadership cases. Taking a phenomenographic research approach, the paper identifies two levels at which students understand ‘theory’: Level 1-Theory as knowledge acquired from books; Level 2-Theory as support for problem solutions. Only the students at Level 2 understanding achieved the highest learning outcome described by the Bologna Reforms. This result may be accounted for by the difference in the students' pre-conceived understanding of the events and relationships in the analysed cases. The phenomenographic assumption explains why the authentic cases are problematic. The high relevancy of the learning object – as an authentic case – may reduce the effect of variation, in this case the educational environment that is the mechanism for learning according to variation theory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13562517
- Volume :
- 19
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Teaching in Higher Education
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 94773620
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2014.880678