Measuring the affective and cognitive growth of regularly admitted and developmental studies students using the<i>learning and study strategies inventory</i>(LASSI)

Abstract

Abstract The LASSI (Weinstein, Schulte, & Palmer, 1987) is a standardized self‐report measure designed to assess college students’ use of learning strategies. This study sought to investigate the utility of LASSI as a means of measuring college students’ cognitive and affective growth following a study strategies course. In addition, the study evaluated LASSI's predictive ability by examining the subject's grades in subsequent content area courses. Seventy‐one regularly‐admitted (RAS) and 168 Developmental Studies (DSS) subjects from two universities participated in the study. All subjects took the LASSI as a pre and posttest measure and participated in eight weeks of study strategy instruction. The results indicated cognitive and affective growth for both the RAS and DSS. Though the LASSI was significantly predictive of the RAS's grade point average in regular courses, no scale or combination of scales was predictive of courses grades for the DSS. It was concluded that more research is needed before LASSI can be used unequivocally for developmental populations.