The relationship of learning and teaching styles to achievement among nontraditional health professional students

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship of learning style and teaching style to student academic achievement among nontraditional health professions in credit continuing education classes. It involved 256 adult students in undergraduate and graduate health profession classes offered in the evening and at off-campus sites. The student's learning style was measured by the Canfield Learning Style Inventory. The teaching style of the 18 instructors teaching these courses was measured by the Principles of Adult Learning Scale. Student achievement was indicated by the student's final course grade. Individual differences in student academic ability was adjusted for by using the student's overall grade point average as a covariant. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the relationship of learning style to student achievement, teaching style to achievement, and the interaction of learning and teaching styles with achievement. In the area of learning style, achievement was greatest among those health professionals who preferred the conditions of a well-ordered classroom with a well-informed instructor, the content of working with numbers and logic, and the mode of direct experience and who expected to do well in an academic setting. Teaching style produced highly significant differences in the amount of student achievement. While student achievement was above average for all teachers who practiced a highly consistent style, the greatest achievement was among the students of the teachers who practiced the collaborative mode that is suggested in the adult education literature but who slightly modified it. The only interaction between learning and teaching styles and achievement was in the area of expectancy. This study advances the adult education knowledge base on learning styles and teaching styles by examining student achievement in a specific adult learning situation. The failure of dominant mode to produce a difference and the nonsignificant findings of many elements of learning style could indicate that more needs to be done than just measure learning styles. To affect learning, students may need to be informed of their style and information provided to help them capitalize on their learning strengths and develop their weak areas...