Variations in Perceptions of the Learning Environment and Approaches to Studying among University Students in Pakistan

In Western countries, university students adopt various approaches to studying depending on how they perceive their learning environment. Their perceptions and approaches are related to demographic and contextual factors such as age, subject of study, gender, and year of study. This study looked for similar relationships in Pakistani students. A survey, administered to 494 male and 418 female undergraduates in four subject areas across four years of study at two universities in Pakistan, addressed their perceptions of the learning environment, learning preferences, motivation, and approaches to studying. Consistent with Western research, students in the arts and social sciences perceived their programmes more positively and were more likely to adopt a deep approach to studying, compared to students in science and technology or business and management. Contrary to Western research, students' perceptions of their learning environment varied with age and year of study, but their approaches to studying did not. Gender differences were found in their perceptions and motivation. These variations appear to be specific to the context of Pakistan.