Do learning styles, learning strategies, and preference for teacher's teaching philosophy predict student preference for online or in-class courses

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent that selected factors contributed to the predictability of student's choice for online or in-class instruction: the predictive strength of learning styles, learning strategies, student's choice for teacher's teaching philosophy as quantified by student's preference for online or in-class instruction and the predictive strength of all independent variables to student's choice for online or in-class instruction. Demographic variables were examined. Statistical procedures included frequency distribution, chi square, regression analysis, and discriminant analysis. Participants included 595 students enrolled in psychology courses through Experimetrix at Oklahoma State University.

Findings and Conclusions: Expect learners from all learning style dimensions; strongest learning style is very concrete. Learning styles are independent of demographic variables examined in this study. No relationship was found to teacher preference, to how the student initiates the learning activity, or student's preference for a certain type of class structure. A disproportionately larger number of Engagers compared to the expected norms exist in this study. Demographic variables were not good predictors of learning strategies. Preference for a teacher's teaching philosophy: Realist with over one-third of the population followed by Humanist: one-fourth. Students preferred in-class instruction slightly more than online instruction. Traditional instructional and demographic variables do not explain student's preference for instruction. All research questions and hypotheses revealed no significant relationships were found between the dependent and predictor variables.