Cognitive style and instructional preferences

Citation
E. Sadler-smith et R. Riding, Cognitive style and instructional preferences, INSTR SCI, 27(5), 1999, pp. 355-371
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Education
Journal title
INSTRUCTIONAL SCIENCE
ISSN journal
00204277 → ACNP
Volume
27
Issue
5
Year of publication
1999
Pages
355 - 371
Database
ISI
SICI code
0020-4277(199909)27:5<355:CSAIP>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between learners' cognitive styles and their instructional preferences. The sample consisted of 240 business studies students at a UK university. Subjects' cognitive st yles were assessed using the Cognitive Styles Analysis (which assesses the wholist-analytical and verbaliser-imager dimensions of style) and their ins tructional preferences assessed using an instructional preferences inventor y which consisted of three sub-inventories (instructional method, instructi onal media and assessment method). Overall subjects favoured dependent meth ods, print based media and informal assessment methods. There was a signifi cant main effect of wholist-analytical style on collaborative method prefer ence (role play, group discussions and business games) and non-print based media preference (overhead transparencies, slides and videos). There was an interaction of the two dimensions of style and gender in their effect on i nformal assessment method preferences (individual and group assignments and multiple choice and short answer-type questions). The findings are discuss ed in terms of: (i) models of the cognitive style construct; (ii) the pract ical implications of individual differences in style and preference.