In the 21st century: Learning strategies in engineering students.

Abstract

Learning strategies are of vital importance in university life; therefore, when students fail to develop them, frustration may arise during the learning process, particularly in highly demanding professional programs such as engineering. In the current educational context, emphasis is placed on students actively constructing their own knowledge, positioning them as the main protagonists of both the teaching and learning processes. The aim of this study was to estimate the use of learning strategies among first-year engineering students at a public university in Peru. A quantitative approach was adopted, with a descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 167 first-year engineering students who completed the Brief Learning Strategies Scale. The results showed that 71.9% of the students do not use learning strategies, while 28.1% do. Regarding the elaboration and organization dimensions, the highest percentages were concentrated in the regular category, with 61.7% and 60.5%, respectively. These findings indicate that students require tools that support the development of learning strategies in order to achieve a more effective learning process. Additionally, significant differences were found according to age.