Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91).

The diploma thesis deals with learning styles of learners in English language teaching namely in one-to-one courses. The theoretical part deals with the theory of learning styles which is contrasted with the theory of learning strategies. In the theoretical part it is described how learning styles and learning strategies are classified by different authors. How to identify learning styles of one particular student is explained. Apart from that the theoretical part deals with teaching styles in order to find the relationship between learning styles and teaching styles. One-to-one teaching is described as the research takes place in one-to-one teaching environment. The empirical part of the thesis is based on qualitative research of learning styles namely case studies of 7 students of different levels of English who acquire English in one-to-one courses. Students´ learning styles will be analysed through data obtained from an interview. The author of the thesis will use participant observation and will keep account of learning styles of every particular student. Results acquired from the interview will be compared with results from observation in one-to-one teaching. When students´ learning styles are analysed, appropriate teaching methods and exercises are proposed to satisfy students´ ascertained learning styles.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the learning style of a kindergarten child and the level of achievement in language arts. The study was done at the request of the school district of a small community in north Texas, and it incorporated the total public school kindergarten population, 110 subjects. Instruments were the Learning Style Inventory: Primary by Perrin, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and an achievement test developed by the regional education service center. The LSI:P was administered to all students by one person while the two achievement tests were administered by individual teachers to their own classes. The children were divided into groups according to their rating on the LSI:P, using the Prescription Circle by Dunn and Dunn as modifier. ANOVA and chi square analysis were utilized to compute frequencies and percentages at the .05 level to determine relationships between learning styles' group membership and attainment in language. A definite relationship was found between a child's learning style and achievement on the language arts objectives. Indications were that the elements of motivation, persistence and responsibility, and perceptual mode preferred by the learner had strong relationship to success in achievement. It was concluded that a relationship exists between the ability to conduct successful word analysis and a child's learning style. It was also determined that children of kindergarten age can self-report learning style as measured by the Learning Style Inventory: Primary. It is recommended that longitudinal studies be conducted to discover if learning styles change with maturity. Other studies could be done on subgroups of the kindergarten population to find what impact preschool experiences, English as a second language, or sex of the child may have on the relationship between a child's learning style and achievement in language arts.

Syftet med min studie har varit att belysa två olika lärstilsmodeller Dunn & Dunns Learning Style Inventory (LSI) och Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) för att urskilja deras olikheter. Detta arbete är en forskningskonsumerande uppsats som är baserad på tidigare forskning inom ämnet lärstilar. Vetenskapliga artiklar, översiktsgranskningar, rapporter och böcker har bearbetats och analyserats och kategorier har utformats för att jämföra och analysera lärstilsmodellerna i relation till varandra. I resultatet presenteras båda lärstilsmodellernas karaktäriserande drag vilka är lärstilsförfattarnas definition av termen ”lärstil” samt den specifika lärstilens uppkomst. Sedan behandlas centrala begrepp och kategorier som används inom lärstilen samt lärstilens pedagogiska innebörd. Därefter presenteras mätinstrumentets namn samt själva utformningen av mätinstrumentsformuläret. Efter detta berörs den empiriska evidens som framförts av lärstilsförfattarna samt “extern” evidens av lärstilen om så existerar. Avslutningsvis redogörs de synpunkter som framförts på lärstilen. Studien visar att Dunn & Dunns Learning Style Inventory (LSI) och Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) skiljer sig avsevärt åt. Författaren av denna uppsats förespråkar Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) och läsaren rekommenderas att först efter noga välinformerat övervägande välja den lärstilsmodell som visar på stark evidens och som överensstämmer med pedagogens egen syn på inlärning.

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships between the learning styles and demographic characteristics of student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) clinical instructors in nurse anesthesia education programs (NAEPs). The demographic characteristics of age, gender, highest degree held, years of registered nurse experience, registered nurse specialty, years of critical care nursing experience, months of nurse anesthesia training, and number of anesthesia cases completed were analyzed for the students. The demographic characteristics of age, gender, highest degree held, years of registered nurse experience, registered nurse specialty, years of critical care nursing experience, years of nurse anesthesia experience, and years of nurse anesthesia teaching experience were analyzed for the instructors. The participants of the study consisted of a purposive sampling of 221 students and 216 instructors. Data were collected by mailing the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and the demographic information sheet to the program directors of each NAEP who agreed to participate in the study. The response rate was 56.12% for the students and 42% for the instructors. The number of usable responses was 124 student nurse anesthetists and 90 nurse anesthesia instructors. Frequency distribution tables were used to display the number of students and instructors having each of the four learning styles. The mean and standard deviations were calculated in order for the learning dimension scores to describe the overall learning styles of both students and instructors. The relationships between the learning styles and demographic characteristics were measured by the Chi-square and Phi correlation statistics. The overall learning styles were assimilator and converger for the students and assimilator for the instructors. No statistically significant relationship were identified between learning styles and each of the eight demographic characteristics for both the students and instructors. Thus, the researcher recommends a longitudinal study of the learning styles of SRNAs and CRNA clinical instructors using a larger, more representative group in different geographical locations to enhance learning in the clinical setting. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to produce five in-depth case studies of University of Georgia, USA, students who studied abroad for one semester in Spring of 2006. These case studies describe and analyze the students’ self-identified goals and motivations for participating in this study abroad experience. Utilization of Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) naturalistic inquiry method was used to explore the student experiences. In addition to qualitatively analyzing the goals and motivations of these specific cases, descriptive statistics of the student Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) pre- and post-test questions and answers (Intercultural Communication Institute, 2003), taken in Spring 2006 and two years later in Spring 2008, were compared for the purpose of measuring changes in worldview orientations over time. This provided the establishment of convergence or triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. Further exploration of preferred student learning styles by use of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, v. 3.1 (Kolb, 1999) was initiated in order to analyze whether the study abroad program design matched the students’ learning style. A study abroad preparatory model, Adapt, Adopt, Adept: A Preparatory Model for Study Abroad, is proposed that increases student active engagement abroad, thereby increasing the potential for accomplishing the stated goal of the University of Georgia (UGA) study abroad program, namely to develop “global citizens.” Inquiry into these areas and the results obtained are directly relevant to study abroad program specialists, interested faculty, upper administrators in university policy making, and future students who might desire to participate in an international learning experience. This particular study, in contrast to those discussed in the literature review, indicates a unique approach by focusing on the following: • one specific, experiential study abroad program; • using naturalistic inquiry as the method of obtaining such data; • using IDI scores to triangulate results of qualitative data; • incorporating information measured by the KLSI. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Qualitative data were obtained via Blackboard, email, chat interviews via the internet, face to face interviews, and by means of journal entries. By using naturalistic inquiry, the specific form of data provided and its content was left largely to the students to choose via the options listed above in order to best represent their voices. Scores on the IDI provide the quantitative data used to assess qualitative findings. The intention was that this study would provide an in-depth investigation of the students’ experiences in order to be used by individuals who find the information to be practical, functional, and helpful in improving the learning and cultural environment of study abroad students.

Individual differences among humans are apparent in many environments and situations. Educators should be concerned about whether such differences are systematic to such an extent that they significantly affect the effectiveness of various pedagogical methods and training approaches. This paper investigates one type of individual difference - learning style - which may vary across cultures and which may be relevant for both accounting education and audit practice. Learning style is defined as an individual orientation to learning, utilizing four basic modes of learning to various degrees. Learning style measures were obtained from Norwegian and United States accounting students with varying experience levels. The learning styles for the US students were compared to data obtained in prior research and were found to be generally consistent with these studies. The Norwegian sample was compared to both the current United States results and prior research and was found to be significantly different from the US learning style preferences. Implications of these differences for both education and practice are explored.

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There is considerable variation among individuals in the ability to learn a second language. Learning strategy research and learning style research, as two main areas of individual difference research, seek to help learners to �learn how to learn�, and ultimately become autonomous and independent learners. Learning strategy theory postulates that successful learning strategies can be used to good effect by less effective learners, and that teachers can promote good learning strategy usage through classroom instruction. At the same time, for there to be effective instruction to second language learners as to the most efficient learning strategy usage, there must be a research effort that looks not just at the strategies per se, but also gives attention to the cultural background of the students themselves. However, there has been little research into the ways in which low-achieving ESL learners can develop effective learning strategies in a non-western context. The historical, political, social and economic aspects of Taiwan make this small island a fascinating place for researchers interested in exploring how English is taught and learned in a relatively monolingual society (in the sense that Chinese Mandarin is the only official language and is predominately used all over Taiwan). Therefore, this study explores the ESL learning strategies and learning styles of 462 adult learners in Taiwan, making use of Oxford�s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and Kolb�s Learning Style Inventory. Similarities and differences between the learning strategy usage of the high-achieving and low achieving groups are also investigated. The results show that there was no statistically significant relationship between the learner�s English proficiency level and their individual learning style. In sharp contrast, it was discovered that there was a highly significant relationship between the learner�s English proficiency level and their choice and use of various learning strategies. It was also found that the higher the English proficiency level, the greater the variety of learning strategies adopted, and the more frequently those strategies were used. This study aims to shed some light on the principles that underlie successful language learning, particularly in regards to the utilisation and accommodation of learning strategies and styles. The results of such a study could thus contribute to the field of second language learning in a number of ways: for the learner, the teacher, the school policy maker, and the researcher.

This study investigated the effects of journal writing with or without giving feedback and grade, compared to the traditional teaching on integral achievement of students with different learning styles. In addition, students&rsquo / ideas about the journal writing activities in the mathematics classes were investigated. The study was carried out with 87 first year engineering students at Atilim University from three classes. Two groups were assigned as experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) and one group was assigned as the control group (CG). Students in all groups received the same instruction on integral. Experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) also engaged in journal writing activities besides lectures. Journal writings of the EG1 students were graded and feedback was given. Journal writings of the EG2 students, however, were not graded and feedback was not given. Two open-ended achievement tests on integral were developed. One of them was used as pre-test / the other was used as post-test. In addition, Kolb&rsquo / s Learning Style Inventory was administered as pre-test to determine the learning styles of the students. Follow-up interviews were conducted with ten students from EG1 and EG2. Additionally, v classrooms were observed during the treatment. The results of the ANCOVA suggest that neither the groups&rsquo / achievement nor the achievement of the students having different learning styles in each group differ significantly on integral. The results of the interviews, however, showed that students found journal writing activities as an effective teaching method and wanted to be engaged in the activity for the future.