Learning Styles amongst College of Education’s Students at Kuwait University and its Correlation with Some Demographic Variables: an Empirical Study

Abstract

The main objectives of this research study were to identify the differences in the learning styles amongst the students enrolled in the College of Education )COE( at Kuwait University (KU), and to scrutinize if these differences are correlated to several demographic independent variables such as gender, major, grade point average (GPA), and academic year level. A stratified random sample—to ensure the diversity of participants in the sample— of 214 undergraduate students were randomly selected to participate in this study. As their main tool for data collection purpose, the researchers used “Dunn & Dunn Learning Style Inventory )LSI(” measurement model for learning styles after being translated prudently into Arabic. This translated tool was carefully assessed by experts in the field for its validity and reliability, resulting with a 0.771 alpha Cronbach’s value. The results of the study revealed that the “perceptual” type of learning styles is the most outspread type amongst the COE’s students. Nevertheless, no significant differences were found amongst the students with regard to the independent variables of major, GPA, and academic year level. However, the results showed that significant differences in learning styles amongst the students were evidently observed with regard to the gender variable. The study suggested some valuable recommendations such as starting an awareness and professional development/training campaign about learning styles at KU with faculty members and the academic support staff as the main targeted audience. The study also recommended conducting more research studies on this topic spanning wider range of colleges and students at KU and on a national level at the State of Kuwait’s educational institutions. at KU as well as on a national level at the State of Kuwait’s educational institutions.