Does the premise of deep and surface approaches to learning still hold? A re-evaluation of the approaches to learning questionnaire

Scores obtained from the Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) are regularly used in Higher Education to profile students as being Deep or Surface learners. Despite its utility, concerns about its validity have been mounting. Possible factor models have been tested---guided by the original theorising---yet consensus has not been achieved over what is a permissible representation. This study builds on this by seeking to answer a single research question of identifying the best factor model for the R-SPQ-2F. Using data collected from a final sample of 1,158 students, three models were tested using both Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Findings supported the original decomposition into four factors; however, this came at a cost of distorting factor definitions. A discussion of where these distortions arose and how they can be addressed is offered.