The relative effects of age and learning style mismatch on adult students' academic achievement and perception of instructors

This study investigated the relationship between students' age, achievement, evaluation of the instructors and the match-mismatch of students' and instructors' learning styles. Seventeen (17) business instructors and 302 business students comprised the population. The students were selected as an intact group enrolled in the participating faculty members' class. The relationship between age and learning style mismatch and evaluation and age and learning style mismatch and grade was not significant using Kolb LSI and Gregorc Style Delineator. The particular learning style of the instructor did not significantly affect grade nor evaluation using Kolb LSI and the Gregorc Style Delineator. However, submodel analysis revealed that instructors' learning style converger contributed to grade and accommodator style contributed to evaluation using Kolb LSI. Instructors' learning styles abstract sequential and concrete random contributed to grade using the Gregorc Style Delineator. The particular learning style of the student did not affect the relationship between learning style mismatch and grade and learning style mismatch and evaluation using Kolb LSI and the Gregorc Style Delineator. Submodel analyses indicated that students with learning styles accommodator and diverger who matched their instructors contributed to grade and students with learning style diverger when matched contributed to evaluation. The findings of this study were generally contrary to research.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Adult and Continuing Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Adult and Continuing Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Garrett, Clayton W.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Wiswell, Albert K.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Stubblefield, Harold W.
• Boucouvalas, Marcie
• Cline, Marvin Gerald
• Harris, Justin

• age and learning style

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06062008-154424

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38073