Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Curriculum and Instruction PhD

First Advisor

Judith A. Anderson

Second Advisor

Jimmy Kijai

Third Advisor

Maria Rosa

Abstract

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico.

Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test o f association, and two-way analysis o f variance) were used to analyze the data.

Results. In this study, most students (53.6%) had the Sensing-Thinking learning style. On the other hand, most faculty preferred the Sensing-Feeling (44.4%) and Intuitive- Thinking (33.3%) teaching style. Chi-Square test of association resulted in no statistically significant relationship between learning style and year in the nursing program (%^= 5.68, df= 6, p =0.46). Similarly, no significant relationship between learning style and teaching preferences was indicated (%^= 4.49, df= 4, p =0.34). Students with Intuitive-Feeling learning style (m=71.75, srf=10.40) scored significantly lower than students with Sensing-Thinking (m=83.97, sd=92%), Sensing-Feeling (im=83.73, 5ff=8.58) or Intuitive-Thinking (m=87.87, sJ=6.84) learning styles. Students taught by the one faculty member who had an Intuitive-Feeling teaching preference scored significantly higher (m=93.5, sd=3.79) than students taught by faculty with other teaching preferences. There was no interaction between learning style and teaching preferences.

Conclusion. The match between faculty teaching preferences and student learning styles is quite low (about 20%). Learning styles is not related to year in nursing program or faculty teaching preferences. However, final course grade is related to learning styles and teaching preferences.

Subject Area

Nursing--Study and teaching (Higher)--Puerto Rico.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/572/

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