Perceptual Learning Styles: An Investigative Study On First Year Students at A. A. U.
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Date
2001-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Perceptual learning style preferences are gaining importance of late (Reid 1987, 1995).
The instructional impli cations of learning styles are far reaching (Ehrman, 1996). This
study aimed at investi gating the perceptual learning style preferences favored by
freshman students at Addis Ababa University. Accordingly, two different types of
questiOlmaires ~ one developed by Reid (1987) and the other by Diaz Maggioli (1996) ~
were di stributed to and collected from 390 students. There were 215 students from the
social science stream: 115 males and 100 females; and 175 students from the natural
science stream: 105 males and 70 females. Interview questions were adapted from
Ehrman and Christensen (1 994), and the results were used as crutches to support the
scores obtained from the questionnaires.
It was found that the majority of the students from both streams showed strong
preferences toward visual, kinesthetic, and individual learning styles. In addition, tactile
and auditory learning styles were considered only as minor preferences by the majority of
the students from both streams. Moreover, most of the students from both streams
showed a negative learning preference toward group learning. Finally, the female
students in both streams were found to be significantly more inclined toward the auditory
and group learning styles than their male counterparts. On the other hand, the male
students in both streams were found to be significantly more inclined toward kinesthetic,
tactile, and individual learning than their female counterparts. Based on these findings
instructional implications were drawn and recommendations forwarded.
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Keywords
Perceptual Learning Styles