BIGGS' SPQ: A BRITISH STUDY OF ITS INTERNAL STRUCTURE

Summary. An investigation of the study processes of British higher education students using Biggs' Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) is reported. There is partial confirmation of Biggs' findings that the study process complex, as operationalised by the SPQ, comprises the three orthogonal factor dimensions of utilising, internalising and achieving, where each dimension is made up of a motivational and a strategy subscale. The least satisfactory dimension is “utilising” which appears to be the most unstable scale with few consistent items from study to study. Our research yields evidence to support Biggs' congruence hypothesis that students with particular motivational predispositions tend to adopt a corresponding, linked strategy.