Cultural specificity of approaches to study

This paper discusses the cultural specificity of constructs reported in research into approaches to study of western students. Data are reported from a survey of approaches to study of students at a Hong Kong tertiary institution. The Biggs' Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) was administered to a sample of 1043 students. The SPQ and the Approaches to Studying Inventory were both administered to a smaller sample to aid in interpretation of the data. The resulting factor structures for deep and achieving approach scales were reasonably consistent with those obtained in western countries. However, the results cast doubt on the direct transferability of the surface approach construct to Hong Kong students for whom a narrow approach appeared to predominate, characterised by a systematic, step‐by‐step, processing of information. Students tried to understand each segment of information before committing it to memory. It is suggested that the different approaches might arise because of either limited English language ability or the nature of schooling and upbringing of children in Hong Kong.