Discipline matters: A disciplinary comparison of university students' course experience and learning outcomes in China

Disciplinary difference is an important issue for the research on student learning in higher education. Based on responses from 2104 Chinese undergraduates, the study utilized a quantitative research approach to examinng the disciplinary differences in terms of course experience and its relations to two desirable learning outcomes (overall satisfaction and academic efficacy [AC]) for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and humanities and social sciences (HSS). Specifically, course experience consisted of six dimensions: clear goals, generic skills, emphasis on independence, good teaching, appropriate workload, and appropriate assessment. The results of structural equation modeling showed that some similar relations existed between students majoring in STEM or HSS. For instance, clear goals could not predict overall satisfaction or AC, while generic skills were significantly related to both; appropriate workload could negatively affect AC of students with different majors. Meanwhile, several significant differences in the relationships between course experience and learning outcomes also appeared. The effects of emphasis on independence, good teaching, and appropriate workload on learning outcomes were distinct between STEM and HSS students. For instance, emphasis on independence was positively related to STEM students' overall satisfaction but had no significant effect on HSS students' satisfaction. These differences may result from the significant distinctions in learning contents, aims, and strategies between STEM and HSS disciplines. These findings not only enrich current literature on university students' learning experience, but also provide implications for improving teaching and learning in higher education institutions in the post-pandemic era.