2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Yamazaki ◽  
Michiko Toyama ◽  
Andreas Joko Putranto

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically explore how managers differ from non-managers with regard to learning skills as competencies and learning style in a public-sector work setting. The paper also examined how learning style affects competency development. Design/methodology/approach This study applied Kolb’s experiential learning theory concomitant with its instruments to analyze 12 skills and 4 learning styles. A total of 457 government officers from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Internal Affairs participated in this study, including 112 managers and 345 non-managers. Findings The study had four major findings. Although the two groups were similar in technology skills, managers had stronger skills than non-managers in leadership, relationship, helping, sense making, information gathering, information analysis, theory building, quantitative analysis, goal setting, action and initiative. Relationship skills were important for both managers and non-managers. Managers were more abstract and less concrete learners than non-managers. The learning style with more thinking over feeling affected learning skills development much more than the learning style with more acting over reflecting. Originality/value Using experiential learning theory, this study has clarified what competencies of managers are more developed than those of non-managers and how the two groups learn differently.


TEME ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 1223
Author(s):  
Stanislava Olić ◽  
Jasna Adamov

The research focuses on identifying learning styles of students using Experiential Learning Theory. Тhe paper explores the connection between the preferred learning styles of students with academic achievement аnd gender differences. The findings indicate that assimilating learning style most preferred by students. Furthermore, the study shows that there are significant differences in learning styles of students in terms of gender differences of students. The results suggest that within the school context in Serbia such teaching strategies are applied that encourage the development of the assimilating style – lectures through which a number of information systematized in a logical structure are transferred to students. Also, most of the students who have excellent school achievements actually prefer the assimilating learning style. This finding can be explained by the assumption that students develop their own learning styles in accordance with teachers' expectations.


2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 167

This study examined whether David A. Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) can be applied to Japanese. ELT has received particular attention in describing individual learning processes in English speaking countries where Learning Style Study is prosperous. ELT postulates two orthogonal bipolar dimensions of cognitive development: the active-reflective dimension and the abstract-concrete dimension. Kolb uses these polar extremes to define a four-stage cycle of learning. It begins with the acquisition of concrete experience (CE). This gives way to reflective observation (RO) on that experience. Next to that, theory building or abstract conceptualization (AC) occurs. The theory is then put to the test through active experimentation (AE). The cycle thus recommences since the experimentation itself yields new concrete experience. There are two questionnaires based on Kolb’s theory in wide use The Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ). LSI is one of the most popular questionnaires in English speaking countries; however, some researchers have called into question its reliability and validity. LSQ was developed after considering LSI’s problems, but its reliability and validity also have not been examined sufficiently. The author translated LSI and LSQ into Japanese to apply them in a pilot study. Some problems ware reported, such as the method of answering LSI, the ambiguity of LSQ, and factors that are difficult to understand for English non-native speakers. The author accordingly developed a new questionnaire that was based on ELT but revised for Japanese. The questionnaire consisted of a set of 12 randomly arranged items on each of the four learning stages to be measured. The Likert-scaled 48 items ranged from Strongly Agree (6) to Strongly Disagree (0). The questionnaire was distributed at two national universities and 218 students completed it. The principal component analysis was carried out and promax rotation was used. Contrary to Kolb’ theory, which has two bipolar axes and four poles of learning, in this study five factors were found: Deliberative, Logical, Pragmatic, Challenge and Systematic. The Deliberative style means that when a learner has this ability, he or she makes decisions after deliberation and progresses step-by-step. The Logical style represents a learner who attaches importance to logic and correctness. The Pragmatic style stands for a learner who always thinks about using language in the real world. The Challenge style means a learner who is flexible to new things and solves problems actively. The Systematic style describes a learner who finds rules from a lot of information and learns systematically. The result of Cronbach’s alpha analysis indicated that all the five factors have a high degree of internal reliability from .77 to .65 and possess some degree of correlations from -.07 to .51. The result means that there are not two bipolar axes as Kolb supposed, but five factors that are independent with only factor one and two having a correlation with each other. Because the five factors are independent and have a high degree of internal reliability, Japanese university students have foreign language learning styles that are different from Kolb’s theory. Although the theory has received much attention and LSI and LSQ are widely used in English speaking countries, they cannot be applied directly to Japanese university students. Thus it is concluded that a new theory and questionnaire are needed in order to grasp the foreign language learning style of Japanese. 本稿ではまず、欧米で広く認められているKolb (1984) のExperiential Learning Theoryとそれに基づいて作成された2つの調査票The Learning Style Inventory(LSI)とLearning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ)の概略と問題点についてまとめた。次にその問題点を踏まえて筆者がKolbの理論に基づいて新たに外国語学習スタイル調査票を作成し、日本人大学生を対象に調査を行った。その結果、Kolbが想定した2つの軸や4つの学習能力を示す因子は抽出されず、「熟考」、「論理」、「実用」、「挑戦」、「秩序」の5因子が抽出された。この5因子はそれぞれ独立しており内的一貫性も認められるため、日本人大学生にはKolbの理論とは異なる外国語学習スタイルが存在する可能性が高い。このことはLSIやLSQを日本人大学生に使用し、結果をKolbの理論にそのまま当てはめて解釈するのは問題があることを示してい


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devi Akella

AbstractThis paper aims to make a limited contribution to Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. An evaluation has been made of an empirically based personal narrative of the author's experiences, reflections and problems as an instructor of a management elective course at the undergraduate level. The paper examines the process of reflection, correction and learning from the perspective of the instructor and how the issue of race and origin of the student learners' can stimulate or hinder assimilation of knowledge within a classroom. The study reveals that it is essential for an educator to be critically reflective of his/her culture and that of his/her students to be able to assess their learning styles and adopt suitable and appropriate teaching pedagogies within the classroom. This paper draws attention towards types of teaching pedagogies, non traditional methods and aids and their effectiveness in educating students of diverse backgrounds. It provides insights about diversity within classrooms and its impact on teaching, pedagogies and learning styles of both educators and students, by portraying the journey of an educator and her process of self improvement.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devi Akella

AbstractThis paper aims to make a limited contribution to Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. An evaluation has been made of an empirically based personal narrative of the author's experiences, reflections and problems as an instructor of a management elective course at the undergraduate level. The paper examines the process of reflection, correction and learning from the perspective of the instructor and how the issue of race and origin of the student learners' can stimulate or hinder assimilation of knowledge within a classroom. The study reveals that it is essential for an educator to be critically reflective of his/her culture and that of his/her students to be able to assess their learning styles and adopt suitable and appropriate teaching pedagogies within the classroom. This paper draws attention towards types of teaching pedagogies, non traditional methods and aids and their effectiveness in educating students of diverse backgrounds. It provides insights about diversity within classrooms and its impact on teaching, pedagogies and learning styles of both educators and students, by portraying the journey of an educator and her process of self improvement.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 34-48
Author(s):  
Kate Kartveit

TV-journalism can never be thought successfully entirely on a theoretical basis. The students must experience the professions challenges and difficulties by exercising and experiencing the TV-journalistic methods, TV-tools and TVaesthetics in practice in order to achieve skills within TV-journalism. The article discusses how Kolb’s learning circle successfully provides a pedagogic approach in practical journalism learning and teaching. Kolb experiential learning theory says that ideally the learning process represents a learning cycle or spiral where the learner touches four bases in process, that means a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Kolb describes four different learning styles or learning preferences. This refers to four different ways of experiencing the learning process. Every learner has a preference to learn in different ways andthe learning circle offers the learners to fulfil the learning process no matter what starting point the learner prefers. This approach focuses on journalism training as growing a person from the inside, whereas conventional teaching and training is the transfer of capability into a person from the outside. Keywords: coaching, conventional learning, David A. Kolb, Experience Based Learning Systems, Experiential Learning Theory, International TV-program, journalism studies, learning cycle, learning process, pedagogical approach, TV-journalism. p>


2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen C. Schellhase

Objective: Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory offers insight into the development of learning styles, classification of learning styles, and how students learn through experience. Discussion is presented on the value of Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory for Athletic Training Education. Data Sources: This article reviews research related to experiential learning theory and learning styles in athletic training education and other allied health professions. Studies reviewed include published articles and dissertations involving experiential learning, learning styles, and clinical educator behaviors. Data Synthesis: Learning styles research related to athletic training is inconclusive due to the differences in vocabulary and measuring instruments used by researchers. Conclusions/Recommendations: This review illustrates the need to conduct more research on learning styles and how experiential learning theory might be used to facilitate education in athletic training education programs.


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