Learning Styles of Engineering Students

This study examined the learning styles of engineering students using the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) developed by Soloman and Felder (Soloman & Felder, 2002), the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) developed by Riding (Riding, 1991), and the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) developed by Kolb (Kolb, 1993). Thirty-five graduate and thirty-six undergraduate engineering students took each of the assessments. There was a strong preference for the visual category on the ILS, but an even split for the imagery/verbal dimension on the CSA. Scores were also evenly split on the active/reflective and sequential/global dimensions on the ILS. Another strong preference was seen for the analytic category on the CSA. On the LSI, most students' scores indicated a preference for the convergent category and no student scores were in the divergent category. An overview of each of the instruments as well as a summary of student learning needs for each of the dimensions is presented.

There are numerous factors, which reasonably affect teachers’ instructions. One of these factors is being aware of the learners’ learning styles. Shea’s work (1983) contributed that there is a strong correlation between learning styles and reading comprehensions. The present study investigated the correlation between Perceptual learning styles and scanning information in text scores. To achieve this, researcher randomly selected 382 undergraduates (male and female) engineering students of the Public sector Engineering University. Learning style survey questionnaire by Andrew D. Cohen, Rebecca L. Oxford, and Julie C. Chi (2001) was employed to examine the Perceptual learning style patterns and learning styles with respect to gender. In addition to this, reading test was conducted based on scanning skill. Pearson product-moment correlation test was applied to examine the correlation between the variables. It was found that a correlation exists between learning styles of engineering students and scanning information in the text. In addition to this, gender does play role in learning style preferences. This result would create awareness among all instructors or teachers the importance of learners’ unique learning style preferences that consequently affect teaching methodologies in all educational settings.

This study aimed to investigate the preferred learning styles of sports students in higher education in Algeria. Using the Felder-Silverman model, which categorizes learning styles into four dimensions: active-reflective, visual-verbal, sensing-intuitive, and sequential-global, the research also examined differences in learning styles based on specialization, academic level, and diploma. The research involved 268 students from the Sports Institute in Setif, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 28. The findings revealed a predominant preference for the visual learning style, followed by the sensing and sequential styles. No significant differences were found in learning styles according to specialization. However, significant differences were observed between groups based on academic level and diploma, and the study recommended creating training courses for teachers that adopt modern methods and encourage them to consider the learning styles of each student.

A study was conducted to compare and evaluate the different learning styles of students in Bangladesh and the United States. The objective was to identify the similarities and differences among individual student learning styles using the Fielder-Silverman model and an index of learning styles, which was compiled using student response data from two universities in Bangladesh and one American university. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the factors affecting learning style, such as the number of years spent in school, cultural background, and academic major. Altogether, eight dimensions were used to study the students’ differences in learning preference. The analysis concluded there was no difference between the learning styles of American and Bangladeshi engineering students. However, the results showed a difference between first year (freshmen) and final year (senior) engineering students on the sensing/intuitive dimension. Differences in learning style were also observed between students from different academic majors on the sensing/intuitive and visual/verbal dimensions.

It is crucial to study learning and teaching styles because some studies have shown that a match between teaching and learning styles helps to enhance the learning process. So, teachers should identify their own teaching styles as well as their learning styles to obtain better academic achievement in the classroom. This study focuses on the students’ learning styles, teachers’ teaching styles, and whether there is a match or mismatch between student and teacher teaching style preferences in King Abdullah Second School for Excellence in Jordan. The results show that most tenth grade students at King Abdullah Second School for Excellence in Jordan prefer to learn by using visual and individual styles. Also, the English teacher, Mr. Ashraf’s major teaching style preferences are visual and individual. Thus, there is a match between the teacher’s preferred teaching style and the students’ preferred learning style at King Abdullah Second School for Excellence, Irbid, Jordan.

On Learning Styles, Academic Performance and Innovative Teaching Practices: Empirical Evidence from Post-Graduate Students at Department of Commerce, University of Delhi

<p><strong>Background:</strong><strong> </strong>Learning styles are the ways students learn, intake and process new information. The contribution of learning styles for educational quality is evident and have important implications to develop effective curricula. Teachers can effectively plan instructional activities if they know the learning styles of students. This study was conducted to find out the preferred learning styles of medical and physiotherapy students.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Methods:</strong><strong> </strong>This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at Azra Naheed Medical College Lahore from January to March 2014. Honey and Muffard Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was used to assess the preferred learning styles. The medical students of 3rd year and 6th semester physiotherapy class were invited for the study. The collected data was organized and analyzed by the use of statistical tools.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong><strong> </strong>120 students participated in this study, out of which 60 (50 %) were students of MBBS class whereas 60 (50 %) were of physiotherapy class. 48 (40%) were male students and 72 (60%) were female students. Both the groups have reflector as dominating learning style with a minor difference of (40%) and (42.5%) for medical and physiotherapy respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><strong> </strong>Students have different learning styles and require versatile instructional and assessment strategies. Preferred learning style of medical and physiotherapy students found in this study is reflector, however all the learning styles are present in both groups.<strong></strong></p>

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم الطلاب لأنماط التعلم المفضلة لديهم في کلية التربية والآداب بجامعة تبوک وعلاقة ذلک بمتغير جنس الطالب؛ إضافة إلى معرفة الفروق بين الطلاب العاديين والمتفوقين في أنماط التعلم المفضلة لديهم، تکونت عينة الدراسة من (216) طالبا وطالبة من المرحلة الجامعية الأولى (البکالوريوس) في کلية التربية والآداب في جامعة تبوک، حيث قام الباحث بتطوير مقياس لتقييم أنماط التعلم يتمتع بخصائص سيکومترية مناسبة، دلت نتائج الدراسة على أن بعد التعلم البصري قد جاء بالمرتبة الأولى من بين أبعاد أنماط التعلم الأخرى، يليه بعد التعلم الفردي، بينما جاء نمط التعلم الجمعي في المرتبة الأخيرة، کما بينت نتائج الدراسة على وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في نمط التعلم الفردي والتعلم البصري تبعا لمتغير جنس الطالب لصالح الإناث، بينما لايوجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في أنماط التعلم الأخرى بين الذکور والإناث. من جهة أخرى فقد بينت نتائج الدراسة على وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في نمط التعلم الحرکي والتعلم البصري تبعا لمتغير التفوق لصالح الطلاب المتفوقين، في حين لايوجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في أنماط التعلم الأخرى بين الطلاب المتفوقين والعاديين. This study aimed to investigate the Students Evaluation of preferred Learning Styles in the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Tabuk and its Relationship with student's gender, and therefore Knowledge the differences between ordinary and talented students in the preferred learning styles, the study sample consisted of (216) students from undergraduate at the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Tabuk, the researcher developed a scale to evaluate the preferred learning which have appropriate psychometric characteristics. Results of the study showed that the use of The visual style of learning is the first preferred Learning Styles by the viewpoints of students, while Collective learning Style came the last rank of the scale dimensions. In addition the results of this study showed the existence of significant differences in the preferred learning styles depending on the variable gender for the benefit of students female In Individual learning style and The visual style of learning, as well that there is no statistically significant differences in learning styles between outstanding students and ordinary differences.

This study investigated the learning styles of collegiate aviation students. The results of this investigation were compared to the learning styles of qualified pilots in the United States Air Force, as identified in a previous study. Using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, the objectives were to identify the learning styles of collegiate aviation students, determine if there was a difference in learning style among the grade levels of the college students, and to note the similarities and/or differences in learning styles between the collegiate aviation students and the United States Air Force pilots. The demographic survey used in the previous study was tailored to reflect the disparity of experiences between college students and active pilots in the United States Air Force. The population for this study consisted of students enrolled in the aviation programs at Oklahoma State University-Stillwater campus, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa campus, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University on the Durant campus and at Tinker Air Force Base. Using the results of this study to identify a preferred learning style among college aviation students can provide information about the students’ cognitive mapping. This mapping can be used as a tool so that courses can be more effectively designed. Modifications to this main theme can then be made for those students who have different learning styles. An ideal learning style, due to the predictive nature of Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, can also identify aviation students as a discrete group from other degree programs on campus.

Every student absorbs and processes knowledge in a different way, which distinguishes each from one another. Some students may have a combination of learning styles. In order to apply a variety of teaching strategies that are ideal to accommodate all types of learners in the classroom, it is crucial for a teacher to understand the learning preferences of his or her students. This study was carried out to investigate the students’ learning style and reading performance, and determine if there is a significant correlation between the two variables. The VAT learning style, which stands for visual, auditory, and tactile, was the only focus of this study. This study employs a descriptive-correlational analysis of variables to discover whether there is a significant relationship between the two variables and to describe the variables. There were 72 Grade 8 students from Libertad National High School, Libertad Misamis Oriental, Philippines who participated in this study. The Learning Style Survey Questionnaire was utilized to determine the students' preferred learning styles, and three reading passages with a total of 30-item questions were used to determine the students' reading performance. In this study, the percentage and chi-square test were both employed to obtain the results. The findings indicate that the majority of students’ response is auditory. Regarding their reading performance, most students are at the instructional level. As the p-value of 0.6086 is greater than the 0.05 level of significance, the results showed that the student's learning style is not significantly related to their reading performance. Thus, a student's preferred learning style has no relation to how well they read. This implies that being an auditory learner does not guarantee that a student would excel in reading and become an independent reader. Future studies may thus employ different grade levels or concentrate on the two learning preferences—visual and auditory—to see whether there is a significant relationship between them and the students’ reading proficiency.

In a student-centered teaching and learning environment, students' needs, potentials, and learning styles are considered crucial. Therefore, teachers need to understand what learning styles students prefer to teach effectively. In the current study, a quantitative research approach has been adopted in this study within it descriptive research designed was used. To determine the preferred learning styles of B.Ed. students, VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic) learning style model has been used. Since the data was collected using the VARK questionnaire, simple random sampling techniques were used. The reliability of the instrument was calculated through Cronbach α= 0.75. The sample of the study consists of 140 Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students of a Public Sector University located in Northern Sindh, Pakistan. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics (percentages mean and standard deviation) to determine the most preferred style of learning of students. The results of the study revealed that 27.93% of the B.Ed. students have preferred aural learning style, 25.13% kinaesthetic learning style, 22.65% visual style of learning and 21.09% preferred read/write learning style respectively. To conclude that the majority of the B.Ed. students preferred aural learning style and the least preferred style of learning was read/write. Hence, B.Ed. students were driven towards an aural learning style. This study suggests that students learning styles are influenced by the teacher’s teaching style. Therefore, the teacher can determine his/her teaching style by using the score of the VARK questionnaire. The study recommends that another study can be conducted by the teachers to learn about the larger number of students’ preferred learning styles. The teacher can also address a mixture of learning styles. In the classroom, there are always diverse learners. In that case, the teacher can use integrated teaching style which can address all learners preferred teaching style.

Background: A learning style is the process by which a learner takes in, focuses on, understands, and retains information. This concept of learning style has got great interest among educators to recognize learning abilities of their student. It is essential to have knowledge of learning method preferred by students and identify them as, visual learner, kinesthetic learner, or aural or read-write type learner. If the information is delivered to student according to their preferred learning style, their learning would be much enhanced. Thus, as a medical educator, it is our task to assess and teach knowledge, attitudes, and skills considering the student interests. Aim and Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine preferred learning styles of physiology undergraduate students of a rural medical college of Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: Visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire was given to 100 undergraduate medical students. The distributions of VARK preferences were calculated, and the learning style of each student was determined. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variables. Results: About 76% of students showed multiple learning styles. Among multimodal learners, bimodal learners 56% were highest, trimodal 19%, and then quadmodal learners. The most preferred combination of learning style among bimodal students were auditory kinesthetic (33%). Conclusion: Physiology undergraduate student prefers multimodal learning styles.

This study explored the learning styles prevalent among high and low achievers in 14 public and independent senior secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study utilised a survey design to elicit information from 414 participants across three local government areas of the state, using a random sampling technique and the English Language Achievement Test (ELAT) instrument. The collected data were analysed using t-test analysis. The findings showed no significant difference in the learning style preferences of high and low achieving students in secondary schools for visual and auditory styles, while there was a significant difference in tactile learning style. Low achievers had a higher preference for the tactile learning style (M = 17.96) than high achievers (M = 16.24). The study also revealed that the most prevalent learning style among high and low achieving students in public and independent secondary schools is visual, followed by auditory, while tactile/kinesthetic is the least prevalent learning style. Based on the findings in this study, a number of recommendations were articulated for teachers, curriculum developers and learners.

The problem of this study was to determine whether learning styles of students affect their math achievement scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Test. The research questions addressed relevant to this study were: 1. Is there a positive correlation between students' learning styles and their achievement test scores in mathematics? 2. Is there a positive correlation between specific sub group's (as deemed by the state of Texas) and gender's learning styles and their achievement test scores in mathematics? The Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient and the Point-biserial correlation analysis was applied to the data collected from 500 fifth grade students attending a North Texas Intermediate school. The significance level was established at the .05 level. Part of the data was the student's responses to the Learning Style Inventory by Dunn, Dunn and Price. The findings established that the learning style preferences of all students in the area of persistence significantly impacted their math achievement scores. Gender and ethnicity were mitigating factors in the findings. These learning style preferences significantly impacted achievement in the following ways: * Caucasian students' preference of a high level of persistence in completing a difficult task. * Hispanic students' preference for a warm learning environment and motivational factor of pleasing the teacher. * Afro-American students' preference for kinesthetic learning. * Female students' learning style preferences appear in: - the design of the learning environment - the need for intake of food and/or drink - a high level of responsibility - a high sense of self-motivation , of teacher and of parent motivation. * Male students' learning style preferences appear in: - a warm learning environment - a high level of responsibility - the need for intake of food and/or drink - a high sense of teacher and of parent motivation - a late morning learning In summary, the author suggests that supplying the teachers with information concerning students' learning style preferences will benefit student achievement.

This research aimed at investigating about the preferred learning styles and the effect of some variables such as the university branch, gender, education program, academic year, specialization, and cumulative average. To achieve that, the two researchers used the Index of learning styles (ILS) developed by Felder and Solomon (Litzinger, et al, 2005) consisting of 44 items to evaluate learning preferences, and which was applied on purpose cluster sample of (345) students. After using the SPSS statistical analysis program, the results of the study show that the preferred learning style in descending order is (active-reflective, visual-verbal, sequential-global, and sensing-intuitive). The study also revealed that there are statistically significant differences for the visual-verbal style according to Ramallah and Arrob branch, also there are statistically significant differences for sequential-global style according to gender in favor of females. And there are no statistically significant differences for education program, academic year, specialization, and cumulative average.