A comparative analysis of the learning styles of students enrolled in the apprenticeship program or the general studies curriculum at a comprehensive community college

The purpose of this study was to contrast the learning styles of a population of community college students enrolled in an Apprenticeship technical training program with a sample of General Studies students. The rationale was that the two groups of students would demonstrate different learning characteristics, which could be used to identify appropriate advising, counseling and learning environments. The participants, 100 General Studies students and 50 Apprenticeship students, were surveyed using the Learning Styles Inventory. The LSI yields scores on four learning modes (Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation) and four learning styles (Converger, Diverger, Accommodator and Assimilator). The Apprenticeship students did not score higher in the Concrete Experience learning mode. They obtained similar mean scores to the General Studies students in the remaining three learning modes: Abstract Conceptualization, Reflective Observation, and Active Experimentation. There was not a greater frequency of occurrence of Converger learning style among the Apprenticeship students when compared to the General Studies students. Few differences were found between these two groups although the Apprenticeship students were older and were employed full time. The students in the Apprenticeship population and the General Studies sample were quite similar in their learning approach. They both distributed fairly evenly across the four Kolb learning styles. Further, Apprenticeship students though part of a technical training group, do not reflect Kolb's observation that the Converger learning style is the most characteristic of those in technical fields. This study does not support previous research that indicates differences in younger and older students' learning styles. The two student groups appear to be drawn from the same student pool although separated by age and employment status.