Psicologia: teoria e prática
Print version ISSN 1516-3687
Abstract
OLIVEIRA, Katya Luciane de; SANTOS, Acácia Aparecida Angeli dos and SCACCHETTI, Fabio Alexandre Pereira. Validity evidence for a learning style measure. Psicol. teor. prat. [online]. 2017, vol.19, n.3, pp.159-175. ISSN 1516-3687. https://doi.org/10.5935/1980-6906/psicologia.v19n3p159-175.
This study aimed at obtaining validity evidence for a learning style scale and at analyzing student's learning styles. The study included 709 students from professional technical education. We used a Scale of Learning Styles, with 80 items for the description of the preferred styles, and evaluated five dimensions, namely: environmental, social, instrumental, personal, and activity conditions. We applied the test collectively on the day and time set by each educational institution. A factor analysis with varimax rotation indicated three-factor structure for the scale. The factors were grouped as follows: factor 1 - personal terms and conditions of activity, with 16 items (α = 0,78); factor 2 - environmental conditions, with 11 items (α = 0,79); factor 3 - social conditions, with 11 items (α = 0,81). Overall, we observed that the students were more personal conditions and activity style-oriented. A scale that can map students' learning styles is relevant to Brazilian education because it allows students to know their learning preferences and can provide them with better learning conditions.
Keywords : styles; learning styles; cognitive styles; psychological assessment; high school coach.