Arab Educational Information Network

This study aims at assessing need to know among the students of preparatory stage; assessing information processing approaches among them; and investigating the correlation between the two variables. To achieve the aims of the study, the test of Aljubouri 2013 of assessing knowledge trend was adopted. This model's design was based on the study of Cacioppo & Petty 1983 who defined knowledge trend as the tendency of people to getting busy with thinking, enjoying it, and the pursuit of intellectual efforts. The model consisted of 30 items with two alternatives each (0 or 1). It covers a variety of domains like deep processing, methodological study, preserving scientific facts, and wide processing. The study also adopted Alrafou's 2008 scale of assessing information processing approaches which consists of 59 items (always, sometimes, never) with the scoring of (3, 2, 1). The tool was applied on a sample of 150 students. The study reached at the following results: 1) the sample has the tendency towards need to know with a level higher than the default average. 2) The sample has information processing approaches with a level higher than the default average. 3) There is a positive correlation between need to know and information processing approaches. The study also reached at a number of conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions. (Published abstract)