Analysis of Student-Teacher Cognitive Styles Interaction: An Approach to Understanding Learner Performance

Abstract

Cognitive styles are persistent patterns of behavior that determine how an individual acquires and processes information. In the classroom the cognitive styles of the teacher interact with those of the learner resulting in differential understanding.   This study which is informed by cognitive styles theories is a descriptive study that examined the interactive effects of cognitive styles and their influence on academic performance. The study specifically explored the interactive effect of cognitive styles of students and teachers on learners’ performance in Mock and in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examinations. The target population for the study was all students in sixty schools elevated to National School status across Kenya’s 47 Counties. Six schools from three counties were randomly selected. From the sampled schools, one class of Form Four students was randomly selected. A total of 293 students, 6 teachers and 6 Academic Masters formed the sample. Data was collected using a Cognitive Styles Inventory, interview guide for Academic Masters and marks record forms. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20 to run correlation, t-tests and ANOVA tests. The study revealed two compelling findings: (i) interaction between the four dimensions of cognitive styles results in significant differential performance, and (ii) students whose cognitive styles matched those of their teachers to a level of 100% performed poorest in both Mock and KCSE Chemistry Examinations and further, they registered significantly lower improvement between the two examinations as compared to learners with lower levels of match. The study recommended that teachers and learners should profile themselves early in the learning cycle and adjust teaching/learning strategies accordingly.

Keywords: Cognitive styles, congruence, learning strategies, academic performance