Major, minor & negative learning style preferences of Greek university learners

Angeliki Psaltou-Joycey

Zoe Kantaridou

Outline

Literature reviewPurposeInstrumentResultsTeaching suggestions

Literature review-1

Moody, 1988 Ehrman & Oxford, 1989 Reid, 1987 Peacock, 2001

Literature review-2

General comment: Learning styles are influenced by

Educational & occupational engagements

Culture

Oxford, Hollaway and Horton-Murillo (1992: 441)

“Although culture is not the single determinant, and although many other influences intervene, culture often does play a significant role in the learning styles unconsciously adopted by many participants in the culture”

Purpose of study

Provide general learning style profile

Show differences among fields of study

Suggest learning strategies

Participants

Aristotle University & University of Macedonia N=1616 Mean age: 19.5 yrs old Fields of study:

Humanities □Engineering Foreign Languages □Sciences Education □Medicine Economics □Computer Science

Styles Analysis Survey, Oxford 1995

Use of senses during study: visual, auditory, hands-on

Personality/ psychological: Relationship with others: Extroverted or introverted Handling of possibilities: Intuitive-random or

Concrete-sequential Approach to activities: Closure-oriented or open

Cognitive: Use of ideas: Global or analytic

Greek uni Ss’ learning profile

49,0%

62,8%

44,2%

54,5%60,3%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

Visual Extroverted IntuitiveRandom

Closureoriented

Global

Overall Learning Styles Profile

Major: ‘natural’ learning method, strong learning

preference Minor:

Modest but functional learning preference Negative:

Difficult-to-handle learning method, non-spontaneous

Styles FIELDS of STUDY

HUM/FL EDU ECON MED ENG/SC CS

Visual major major major major major major

Auditory negative negative negative negative negative negative

Hands-on negative minor minor minor minor minor

Extrovert minor minor major minor minor major

Introvert negative negative negative negative negative negative

Intuitive-Random major major major major major major

Concrete-sequential minor major minor minor minor minor

Closure-oriented major major minor major major major

Open negative minor negative negative negative negative

Global major major major major major major

Analytic negative negative negative minor negative negative

Styles FIELDS of STUDY

HUM/FLHUM/FL EDU ECON MED ENG/SCENG/SC CS

Visual major major major major major major

Auditory negative negative negative negative negative negative

Hands-on negative minor minor minor minor minor

Extrovert minor minor major minor minor major

Introvert negative negative negative negative negative negative

Intuitive-Random major major major major major major

Concrete-sequential minor major minor minor minor minor

Closure-oriented major major minor major major major

Open negative minor negative negative negative negative

Global major major major major major major

Analytic negative negative negative minor negative negative

Styles FIELDS of STUDY

HUM/FL EDU ECON MED ENG/SC CS

VisualVisual major major major major major majorAuditory negative negative negative negative negative negative

Hands-on negative minor minor minor minor minor

ExtrovertExtrovert minor minor major minor minor majorIntrovert negative negative negative negative negative negative

Intuitive-RandomIntuitive-Random major major major major major majorConcrete-sequential minor major minor minor minor minor

Closure-orientedClosure-oriented major major minor major major majorOpen negative minor negative negative negative negative

GlobalGlobal major major major major major majorAnalytic negative negative negative minor negative negative

Styles FIELDS of STUDY

HUM/FL EDU ECON MED ENG/SC CS

Visual major major major major major major

AuditoryAuditory negative negative negative negative negative negative

Hands-onHands-on negative minor minor minor minor minorExtrovert minor minor major minor minor major

IntrovertIntrovert negative negative negative negative negative negativeIntuitive-Random major major major major major major

Concrete-Concrete-sequentialsequential

minor major minor minor minor minor

Closure-oriented major major minor major major major

OpenOpen negative minor negative negative negative negativeGlobal major major major major major major

AnalyticAnalytic negative negative negative minor negative negative

General comment

Most balanced learners:Education: 5 major + 3 minorMedicine: 4 major + 4 minor

Least flexible learners:Humanities & Foreign Languages,

4 major + 2 minor

Major/ minor Suggested strategies

VisualVisual input: OHTs, PowerPoint presentations, diagrams, highlighting, semantic mapping, revising

Extroverted Active cooperative tasks, projects, laughter/jokes, role plays

Intuitive-randomBrainstorming, identifying the

purpose, making guesses, using

induction

Independent work after clear

instructions of the process &

purpose of the task, goal-

setting, self-evaluationConcrete-sequentialClear instructions, making plans, applying rules to new situations

Closure-oriented Goal-setting with deadlines, links to previous knowledge

Global Mind-maps, cultural knowledge, delay speech production, summarizing, guessingFrequent (re-)organizing of vocabulary, skimming

Negative styles Suggested strategies

Auditory Note-taking from auditory input

Open Negotiation of tasks/ purposeExcept for

EDU (minor)

Analytic

Scanning, recombining/

analyzing into constituents,

compare/contrast

Except for

Medicine

(minor)

the least balanced

Humanities & Foreign Languages

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Vis

ual

Aud

itory

Han

ds-

on

Ext

rove

rt

Intro

vert

Intu

itive

Con

cret

e

Clo

sure

Ope

n

Glo

bal

Ana

lytic

Senses Personality Possibilities Activity Ideas

Learning Style Prefences in Humanities & Foreign Languges

Major

Minor

Negative

one of the most balanced

Education

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Visual Auditory Hands-on Extrovert Introvert Intuitive Concrete Closure Open Global Analytic

Senses Personality Possibilities Activity Ideas

Learning Style Preferences in Education

Major

Minor

Negative

Economics

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Visual Auditory Hands-on Extrovert Introvert Intuitive Concrete Closure Open Global Analytic

Senses Personality Possibilities Activity Ideas

Learning Style Preferences in Economics

Major

Minor

Negative

one of the most balanced

Medicine

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Visual Auditory Hands-on Extrovert Introvert Intuitive Concrete Closure Open Global Analytic

Senses Personality Possibilities Activity Ideas

Learning Style Preferences in Medicine

Major

Minor

Negative

A. Psaltou-Joycey & Z. Kantaridou

Thank you

Good Luck with your

Visual & hands-on Extroverted Intuitive-random & concrete sequential Closure-oriented and Global students