ERIC Number: EJ1022520
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-2517
EISSN: N/A
Students' Understanding of Theory in Undergraduate Education
Liff, Roy; Rovio-Johansson, Airi
Teaching in Higher Education, v19 n4 p419-431 2014
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.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Undergraduate Students, Phenomenology, Prior Learning, Theories, Problem Solving, Educational Objectives, Teaching Methods, Student Evaluation, Alignment (Education), International Cooperation, Health Services, Health Personnel, Semi Structured Interviews, Credibility, Student Attitudes
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Journal Articles
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A