Automotive Technology Student Learning Styles and Their Implications for Faculty.

In an effort to provide Career and Technical Education (CTE) professionals with additional insight on how to better meet the educational needs of the learner, this study sought to identify the preference for learning of postsecondary automotive technology students. While it might appear logical to naturally classify auto-tech students as primarily hands-onlearners, the results suggested that the sample was a diverse group of learners with specific educational preferences within the automotive technology program. With a lack of learning style research within the trade and industry sector of CTE, findings may be useful to trade and industry teachers and or teacher educators interested in diversifying curriculum and instruction via strategies to enhance the educational experience for the student learner. Historical Perspectives Over the years, many students have had a teacher from whom it was difficult to learn. This difficulty may have been Mark D. Threeton, is an Assistant Professor of Education in the Learning and Performance Systems Department at The Pennsylvania State University. He can be reached at mdt177@psu.edu. Richard A. Walter, is an Associate Professor of Education in the Learning and Performance Systems Department at The Pennsylvania State University. He can be reached at raw18@psu.edu. 8 JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL TEACHER EDUCATION related to a lack of student interest in the curriculum, or it could have been that the subject was taught in a manner that didn’t correspond with the student’s preference for learning. According to Gardner, (1999) educators tend to teach the way they were taught. Moreover, Jonassen (1981) identified that a strong relationship exists between a teacher’s learning style and his or her preferred teaching style. Unfortunately, there is not a “one-size fits all” approach to teaching and or learning (Jorgensen, 2006). Thus, this creates a problem that requires attention. “It is clear that a learning style body of knowledge has been accepted into the education literature and professional development agenda since the 1980s” (Hickcox, 2006, p. 4). A large portion of past research has focused on identifying learning styles, personality types, intelligence and/or adaptive strategies of teaching to meet the learning needs of students. However, this research does not, in most cases, specifically align with a Career and Technical Education (CTE) setting. For this reason, it may be difficult to fully comprehend the relevance of learning style literature to CTE without highlighting its importance. Learning Styles and their Importance While not specifically targeted to CTE, there is a vast amount of literature surrounding the topic of learning style, which is relevant in all educational contexts. Kolb, (1984) defined learning as a “process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (p.38). A learning style on the other hand is defined as a “mode and/or environment(s) in which individuals learn most effectively and efficiently” (Howell & Wikoff, 1984, p. 119). Sims and Sims (2006) explained that the phrase learning style is often used interchangeably with terms such as “cognitive style,” “learning Automotive Technology Student Learning Styles 9 ability,” and techniques for assessing individuals “learning characteristics.” There is not a “one-size fits all” approach to teaching and or learning (Jorgensen, 2006). However, Hartel (1995) identified that an educator’s teaching style is often determined by his or her own learning style rather than by the learning style of the pupil. A study by Jonassen (1981) identified that a strong relationship exists between the learning style of an educator and his or her preferred teaching style. Additional literature has revealed that educators cannot provide a substantial reason as to why they utilized a particular teaching and or learning style technique (Barkley, 1995). While findings such as these could be considered alarming, Whittington and Raven (1995) suggested that teaching styles can be altered with conscious effort. Heimlich and Norland (1994) indicated that: It is often asserted that educators should adapt their teaching style to the learning style of the students. This advice appears to be a contradiction of the basic meaning of style, which is a function of an individual’s personality, experience, ethnicity, education and other individual traits. An educator cannot and should not “change” personality to satisfy each and every learner. Instead, the teacher can adopt and adapt classroom methods, strategies, techniques, and processes to be more consistent with his or her individual style (p. 45). With this “adopt and adapt” principle in mind, several studies have provided a pragmatic look at such a concept. Ausburn and Brown (2006) noted that “studies of individual differences in preferred instructional methods and approaches to learning have shown that student learning tends to benefit from identifying such differences and from using them to customize instruction” (p. 17). An example of this includes a meta-analysis of 42 studies conducted between the 10 JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL TEACHER EDUCATION 1980s and 1990s which found a positive relationship between academic achievement and instruction that matched students’ learning styles (Dunn Griggs, Olsen, Gorman, & Beasley, 1995). Another study by Munday (2002) found that knowledge of the learning strategy preference enhanced academic performance, and as a result, is beneficial to adult students as well as the instructor. These studies have served to highlight the vast amount of research conducted on learning styles. This literature reinforces the importance of the topic of learning styles and personal differences in the teaching and learning process. While the related literature does not specifically align with a CTE setting, educators within the profession should take this information seriously as comprehending learning style characteristics has the ability to enhance the educational experience for the learner.