The development of a self-assessment learning style instrument for higher education

Abstract

All individuals deserve to be taught in a way that best suits their needs. Education should be aimed at promoting learning. In order to do so, educators should incorporate diversity into their model of teaching by acknowledging student individuality, which is expressed in different learning styles. A qualitative study was done to analyse, describe and make sense of the meanings of the phenomenon learning style. One of the phases of the study entailed the development of a self-assessment learning-style instrument. Although various learning-style instruments exist, there are numerous reasons for inaccessibility thereof. A process of analysing existing instruments and adaptation was used to construct a new self-assessment learning-style instrument, based on the Kolb model of experiential learning, which should be used by all students and educators in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning. It is further recommended that the instrument be tested for reliability in order to increase its contribution to quality in higher education.