Students' approach to learning is not a fixed characteristic; it can vary due to personal, contextual, or perceived factors. This approach significantly influences their performance in a given subject. For this reason, it is important to assess students’ learning approaches at the beginning of a course to understand their initial expectations and again at the end to evaluate the impact of the activities conducted throughout the course. In the present study, students' approaches to learning were assessed using the R-SPQ-2F questionnaire. The study focused on students enrolled in Foundations of Chemistry for Science and Food Technology, a course within the bachelor's degree program in Food Science and Technology. The response rate was high at the beginning of the course but considerably lower at the end. At the start, students exhibited a stronger deep learning approach compared to a surface approach. However, this difference diminished by the end of the course. Similar trends were observed in the secondary scales of the questionnaire, which showed a high correlation with their corresponding main scales. The reliability of the questionnaire was high for the main scales. While the low response rate at the end of the course limits the conclusions, the findings indicate that students initially demonstrated a strong deep learning approach, reflecting a positive predisposition toward the course. This attitude could be maintained with appropriate teaching methodologies. Larger sample sizes and repeated studies over multiple years would provide more comprehensive insights, benefiting faculty and curriculum development.

Keywords: R-SPQ-2F questionnaire, deep and surface approach, assessment, teaching methodologies.