Students’ learning approaches are influenced by the subject content, personal circumstances, preconceptions, and the educational context. Analysing these approaches helps to understand how students perceive a subject and to evaluate the effect of teaching methodologies. This study aims to examine the learning approaches of students in the Chemical Analysis II subject of the Food Science and Technology Bachelor’s degree at Universitat Politècnica de València, and to assess the reliability of the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) in this context.

The study was carried out during the 2024–2025 academic year with 102 students. The R-SPQ-2F questionnaire, translated into Spanish, was applied at the beginning (pre-test) and end (post-test) of the course. It evaluates two primary scales—deep approach (DA) and surface approach (SA)—and four secondary scales—deep motivation (DM), surface motivation (SM), deep strategy (DS), and surface strategy (SS). Statistical analyses were used to examine results and reliability.

Students predominantly adopted a deep approach at both the start and the end of the course. Although average DA and SA values were slightly higher in the post-test, the differences were not statistically significant, and the relative predominance of DA over SA remained constant. Gender analysis showed that females reported significantly higher DA than males, while SA values were similar. Regarding the secondary scales, students displayed higher deep motivation than surface motivation and tended to adopt a surface rather than a deep strategy. Females also obtained higher scores in DM and DS than males.

Reliability analysis confirmed that the primary scales achieved Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.7, indicating acceptable internal consistency. By contrast, the secondary scales showed lower coefficients, suggesting weaker reliability. These results highlight the usefulness of the questionnaire for distinguishing DA and SA, while pointing to limitations in interpreting the secondary scales.

Although the response rate was lower in the post-test, the study provides meaningful insights into students’ learning approaches in this course. The results indicate a general preference for deeper learning and underline the relevance of gender-related differences. Moreover, the evaluation of the questionnaire supports the validity of the primary scales but advises caution with the secondary scales.

In conclusion, this study contributes to a better understanding of how students engage with Chemical Analysis II and offers evidence that can inform teaching strategies. The predominance of a deep approach and the reliability of the primary scales suggest that the R-SPQ-2F is a suitable tool in this context. Nevertheless, further studies with larger cohorts and over several academic years are required to reinforce these findings and to support the design of more effective methodologies to improve the teaching–learning process.

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