Date of Award
9-1-1985
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Abstract
The Military Education Program of Saint Leo College differs from traditional universities in that campuses are located on military basis, semesters are only nine weeks, long, and students are primarily employed full-time, and are older than typical college students. Self-directed learning would be a viable learning mode for these more mature and responsible students if they show potential for self-directed learning, if the faculty are able to use this teaching method, and if governing regulations do not prohibit its implementation. At the Langley campus of Saint Leo College, structured sampling of 150. Currently enrolled undergraduate representatives of the four divisions were assessed for learning style by administration of questionnaire composed of two scales which measure readiness for self-directed learning and learning style preferences. The Guglielmino Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale compromise the first part of the questionnaire. It is a 58– item self-report, fixed-response measure of readiness for self-directed learning, and uses of Likert reading skill. The Kolb learning style inventory male was used for the second part of this questionnaire to measure individual learning style preference. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory scale id a nine-item self-report measure that has the respondents rank order four words in each item according to how these words test describe their preferred learning style. The literature reliability of each scale was analyzed. The correlations of linear relationships between then and with demographic characteristics of respondents were also done. Faculty representatives of the four divisions at Saint Leo College were surveyed to assess current preferred teaching styles. Percentages of 41 faculty members of which 27 respondents were compared with respect to their preference for teaching techniques associated with pedagogical (traditional) versus andragogical (adult) styles. Regulations of the Virginia Commonwealth Council for Higher Education which is the accrediting body for three of the Military Education Programs of Saint Leo College were reviewed. Contraindications to implementation of self-directed learning were noted. Using the Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale, it was found that the majority of respondents in this study demonstrated readiness for self-directed learning. The respondents tend to prefer Kolb’s AC and AE styles. Kolb’s AC style was correlated with the Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale and the RO style was negatively correlated with the Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale. Was interpreted as demonstrating that the characteristics described for readiness for self-directed learning are consistent with Kolb’s description of the characteristics for the AC learning mode profession. According to Kolb’s characteristics for learning styles, the students prefer thinking and doing over being reflective or emotional in their academic pursuits. This was especially true when the factor of age was measured, which indicated that adult students are less likely to be passive learners. The statistical analysis of the two instruments used in this study highlighted the need for further research into what learning is and how it is accomplished. It is further indicated that more research needs to be done on developing scales to accurately measure and assess styles and modus for learning the findings for faculty teaching mode preference demonstrated that they show a strong preference for traditional teaching modes. The findings for the study should be analyzed with the faculty. If self-directed learning is to be introduced into the Military Education Program, it would first be necessary to develop a strategy for educating the faculty, benefits, and appropriate for adult learners. The review of the state regulations governing the college did not review any prohibitions for teaching modes. The college recently added. Special Courses designation that could be an avenue for the introduction of the self-directed mode into the curriculum. The results of this study were shared with the director of the Military Education Program at its Langley campus. It was recommended that self-directed learning programs be added due to the fact that the students who participated in this study demonstrated readiness for self-directed learning. It was also recommended that students be given the Learning Style Inventory scale and the Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale test. those students who have a preference for more passive learning would need to be counseled out of the self-directed learning or helped to develop the style more compatible with this board the Learning Style Inventory Scale, and the Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Scale would be easy to administer, our relatively short, concise, and squabble in a brief time.