KOLB LEARNING STYLE INVENTORY (1985) - REVIEW AND FURTHER STUDY OF VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

In this study the validity and reliability of the revised version of K olb's (1985) Learning Style Inventory are investigated using the respo nses to the LSI2 of 187 Arts and Science students in an Australian uni versity. Results indicate high internal consistency of the LSI2 scales and some evidence of validity. While, as predicted, four factors form ing two bipolar dimensions were found for the Science subsample, for t he Arts subsample Active Experimentation formed the anticipated bipola r dimension with Reflective Observation, but also with Concrete Experi ence and Abstract Conceptualisation. Higher mean scores for Arts stude nts on Concrete Experience and for Science students on Active Experime ntation conform to results obtained for the LSI1 (Kolb, 1976). Mean sc ores indicate no significant differences on the basis of gender, but s tudents who completed the majority of their primary and secondary scho oling in Asia scored higher means on Concrete Experience, which is pos sibly attributable to cultural influences upon learning styles.