A descriptive study of learning styles of Chinese and American graduate students and teaching styles of professors.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the learning style preference of Chinese graduate students and American graduate students at Mississippi State University. It also identified and described professors' teaching styles.;The sample consisted of 120 graduate students: one group was 60 graduate students born in China and the other group was 60 graduate students born in the United States. The instructors' sample group was made up of 30 professors, with diversified professorial ranks. The Learning Styles Inventory and the Instructional Styles Inventory were used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to each subject in the spring semester of 1992. Hand scoring was conducted on all questionnaires. The Learning Styles Inventory and Instructional Styles Inventory provided a raw score for each of the scales. When percentiles were obtained, Learner Typology and Instructor Typology were formed in order to compare students' learning styles with professors' instructional styles. After identification of students' and instructors' typology, the descriptions and matching were accomplished.;Results indicated that: (a) American graduate students preferred a more social, real-world learning style. Most of them were found in the typologies of Independent/Applied, Social/Conceptual, and Social. They preferred to have opportunities to interact with peers and instructors, to work in activities directly related to real-world experience. (b) Chinese graduate students preferred to work with highly organized language-oriented materials. Most of them were found in the typologies of Independent/Conceptual, Independent, and Conceptual. They preferred self-selected and self-paced programs, reading, literature searches, and reviews. (c) Differences existed between American students and Chinese students in the variables of Conditions for Learning and Areas of Interest. There was a similarity in the variable of Mode of Learning and Expectation for Course Grade between American and Chinese graduate students. (d) Professor's Instructional Styles Preferences were found in the nine categories, but 83.3% were classified as Social/Applied, Social, Applied, and Independent/Applied. (e) American graduate students and professors were two levels apart, a slight mismatch. Chinese students and professors were four levels apart, a greater mismatch.