AN INVESTIGATION OF LEARNING APPROACHES AND LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES: ARE THEY RELATED?

In related research, learning approaches and learning strategies have been reported as important variables influencing the quality of student learning. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the learning approaches and the language learning strategies of higher education students. The research was conducted with the participation of 493 freshmen (M=257, F=236) attending various departments at Balikesir University in Turkey. For research purposes, the Turkish versions of Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) were used. After the reliability of both instruments was computed, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. The findings showed that students’ learning approaches were associated with their learning strategy use. The results provided further evidence that gender and field of study might have an impact on learning approach adoption and language learning strategy use. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study was that engineering students had the highest total mean scores in deep and strategic approach and made use of learning strategies the most.