The effects of gender and level of study on learning behaviour of business undergraduates: a Malaysian example

This paper examines the effects of gender and level of study on the information-seeking behaviour of business undergraduates. The study employed paper-based survey questionnaires to gather quantitative data. A total of 366 respondents consisting of students from three different levels of study (years 1, 2 and 3) participated in the survey. The extent and pattern of information-seeking amongst students was investigated using the independent variables of gender and level of study, and the dependent variable of academic activity (tutorials, assignments, research projects/theses). The results indicated differences in information-seeking behaviour between male and female students in the case of tutorials and assignments, but not for research projects/theses. Conversely, learning behaviour differences between different levels of study were observed for projects/theses, but not for tutorials. These findings provide insights for higher education managers, researchers, faculties and information professionals, for future curriculum design and support. Implications for the design of learning activities with appropriate pedagogical approaches are discussed.