The results that we present are based on a three years research[1]. We try to analyze, among other aspects, what the students with the best grades to access to University do which can explain its academic achievement, in order to concrete effective operational models that can be generalized and taught, as far as possible. In order to do it we are analyzing the learning ways of several groups of 1^st year students with the best grades when accessing at University. Students are from different degrees and belong to the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Their results will be compared to other students’ results with average grades of the same degrees. In order to obtain it, we are assessing their learning strategies, their learning approaches, their styles, their attitudes towards learning and other relevant variables (self-concept, IQ, the perception of their teachers and their classmates, the integration at University, the assessment of their professors, etc). In this research, started in 2010, we will do a monitoring of students’ progress for their first two years of permanence at University, by taking several measures to collect data throughout the whole period of investigation.

The objective is to state the possible existing differences in the learning strategies, in the learning approaches, in the attitudes and in the learning styles between the two groups of students (excellent and average) and to establish the characteristics of each group using the data collected at the beginning of the first course.

Among the variables that explain the students’ learning we have analyzed learning strategies, learning approaches, learning styles and attitudes toward learning. All of them have some influence on the student achievement, and this is especially remarkable in the case of strategies (Cano & Justicia, 1991, 1993, Pintrich & Garcia, 1991; Pintrich, Smith, García & Mackeachie, 1991, Pintrich , 1995; Valle & Rodríguez, 1998; Roces, Pienda Gonáalez-Núñez, González Pumariega, García & Alvarez, 1999; Camarero, Martín & Herrero, 2000; Gargallo, Suárez-Rodríguez & Pérez-Pérez, 2009), approaches (De la Fuente, Pichardo, Justicia & Berbén, 2008; Gargallo, Garfella & Pérez, 2006; Ruiz, Hernández Pina & Ureña, 2008; Valle, González Cabanach, Núñez, Suárez, Piñeiro & Rodríguez, 2000) and attitudes (Gargallo, Pérez, Serra, Sánchez & Ros, 2007, Goolsby et al, 1988; Herrero, Nieto, Rodríguez & Sánchez, 1999; House & Prion, 1998).

We do not have data on the subject in scientific Literature contextualised in excellent and average students, reason why we think that we can make a significant contribution.

[1]

It is the "Longitudinal approach: an analysis of the influential factors that enabled some University students to achieve excellent grades. Design of an intervention’s model" research, approved by the Spanish Education and Science’ Ministry into the National Basic Research Program, 2009 (2010-2012) (Financing Plan E, PGE), directed by Professor Ph.D. Bernardo Gargallo (code EDU2009/08518). 

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