This paper reported a study examining the relations between school science teachers’conceptions of teaching and the learning approaches and learning outcomes of their students. Eighteen physics teachers and 1390 students from 15 senior secondary schools in Guangzhou were involved. A questionnaire titled School Physics Teachers’ Conceptions of Teaching developed in the prior study was used to assess the teachers’ conceptions. The Learning Process Questionnaire (LPQ) was used to assess students’ approaches to learning. A pen-paper test and an open-ended task were used to assess students’ learning outcome. Multivariate analysis and correlation analysis were applied to analyse the data collected in this study. Results of these analysis indicated that teachers’ conceptions of teaching had statistically significant but weak relations with changes in student learning approaches and learning outcomes. The Knowledge Delivery conception of teaching was related to students changing to a more Surface Learning approach whereas the Attitude Promotion conception and Interacting orientation were related positively changes in the Achieving Approach to learning. Student achievement was related negatively to the teachers’ Knowledge Delivery conception and Moulding orientation but positively to the Cultivating orientation.
