An examination of learning styles of undergraduates in different academic disciplines
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Date
1998-11-07
Authors
Perera, E. B. P.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Peradeniya
Abstract
The objectives of this study is to investigate whether there is a pattern of
distribution in the learning styles of undergraduates in different academic disciplines of Sri
Lankan universities. Some of the background variables associated with learning styles were
also investigated.
The sample consisted of 1138 first year undergraduates of three Sri Lankan
universities in the disciplines of arts, Engineering, Medicine, Management, Science and
Agriculture. A Sinhala version of Kolb's Learning style inventory was used to identify the
learning styles of Undergraduates. In addition to this a short questionnaire was utilized to
obtain relevant information for the identification of background factors associated with
student learning styles.
The investigation revealed some important findings.
There is a clear differentiation of learning styles between students in Arts, and
Science disciplines and this is parallel to Hudson's Arts/Science converger/ diverger
differentiation.
The learning styles of undergraduates in Engineering , Medicine, Management,
Science and Agriculture except in the arts discipline were significantly unequal in
distribution. The learning styles in these disciplines were directed towards the converger
style. This shows a similarity between universities in western counties and in Sri Lanka.
Occupations of the fathers and parental education were found to be background
factors in the accentuation of learning styles of students. It was revealed that the children
of fathers in higher occupational levels were convergers while children of fathers in lower
occupational levels were divergers and the children of parents who had obtained a higher
educational level were convergers.
These findings show Kolb's Inventory could be successfully used in the
identification of students learning styles and confirms the validity of further use as an
instrument in the identification of student learning styles.
Description
Keywords
Social sciences and humanities , Learning Styles , Undergraduates , Academic Disciplines
Citation
Proceedings & Abstracts of the Annual Research Sessions,1998,University of Peradeniya, peradeniya, Sri Lanka, pp 63