Personal Curiosity and Its Relationship to the Belief in Quick Learning Among University Students

Personal Curiosity and Its Relationship to the Belief in Quick Learning Among University Students – The present study sought to investigate the degree of individual inquisitiveness among university students, the conviction regarding rapid acquisition of knowledge, variations in individual curiosity according to gender (male–female) and field of study (scientific–humanities), variations in the belief in rapid learning according to gender and field of study, as well as the relationship between personal curiosity and the perception of rapid learning. A random sample of 377 students from Al-Qadisiyah University for the academic year 2023-2024 was selected, and two scales were employed: the Personal Curiosity Scale, formulated based on Litman’s theory (2005) comprising 20 items, and the Belief in Quick Learning Scale, created by Schommer (2000) consisting of 12 items. Both instruments were translated into Arabic, and their psychometric qualities (validity and reliability) were evaluated prior to implementation. Findings revealed that university students demonstrate intrinsic curiosity and possess a conviction in rapid learning capabilities; while significant disparities in personal curiosity were observed according to gender and specialization, no differences in the belief in rapid learning were found based on these variables. Ultimately, a favorable association was identified between personal curiosity and the belief in rapid learning, leading the study to offer a series of recommendations and proposals.