RELATIONS BETWEEN CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION IN FIRST-YEAR PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDENTS IN JAPAN

T. Shimoi1, Y. Takano2, N. Hamachi3
1Chiba University, InterProfessional Education Research Center, Chiba, Chiba, Japan, 2International University of Health and Welfare, Physical Therapy, Okawa, Fukuoka, Japan, 3Reiwa Health Sciences University, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka, Japan

Background: In recent years in Japan, "proactive, interactive, and deep learning," so-called "active learning ( AL)," has been introduced and recommended as one of the higher education lesson formats, including healthcare education. It is difficult to implement AL if the learner recognizes that learning is delivered passively. Hence, educators should understand the learners' conceptions of learning.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated new students' conceptions of learning and its connection with learning motivation as the basic material for measuring the effects of educational programs.

Methods: Using the Japanese "Conceptions of Learning in College Students" scale and "Academic Motivation Scale of University Students", we surveyed 61 first-year physical therapy students. After confirming the distribution with the scatter plots obtained with the two variables of the scale, "memory" and "proactive inquiry," sample cluster analysis was used for grouping students. To clarify the characteristics of each group, one-way ANOVA was used for comparison of dependent variables of conceptions of learning and sub-items of learning motivation between groups.

Results:
Responses were obtained from 60 of the 61 subjects. On the basis of cluster analysis, the students were divided into three groups. The students of the third group had higher scores in both variables of conceptions of learning, "memory" and "proactive inquiry", and in two sub-items of learning motivation, "identified regulation" and "integrated regulation" than the other groups ( p <.05, η2: 0.11 - 0.65).

Conclusions:
The students were divided into three groups, using cluster analysis: 1) students with a strong knowledge of injection-oriented conception, 2) students with a strong constructivist conception, and 3) students having both conceptions of learning. The students in the third group had two conflicting conceptions of learning and were at a higher level of internalization of autonomous motivation than the other groups.

Implications:
Educators should understand learners' conceptions of learning, and design and implement curriculum according to the students' conceptions of learning and motivation related to each other.

Funding acknowledgements: This research was funded by MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI, C, grant number 18K02734).

Keywords:
Conceptions of learning
Motivation

Topics:
Education
Education: continuing professional development

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: International University of Health and Welfare
Committee: the International University of Health and Welfare Ethics Committee
Ethics number: 21-Ifh-003

All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.

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