Summary.The Approaches to Studying Inventory of Ramsden and Entwistle (1981) has now been used in a variety of educational contexts. Comparison of factor analysis results reveals a high degree of consistency in the first two factors extracted. These are interpreted in terms of a fundamental deep/surface dichotomy. The suggested explanation takes into account styles and pathologies which consistently load on these factors. The other two factors are more variable but do show an element of consistency. They possibly show some influence from the environmental context.