An Exploratory Study of Cognitive Styles, Learning Styles and Learning Preferences of Undergraduate and Graduate Business Students in Northern Cyprus
Cem Tanova
Eastern Mediterranean University
There has been a growing interest in identifying different cognitive styles, learning styles and learning preferences of different groups. This study reviews the literature on learning style, cognitive style and learning preferences and explores their implications on improving management education. The empirical part of the study investigates the cognitive styles, learning styles and learning preferences of business students and explores the relationships between these constructs. The styles and preferences of traditional undergraduate business students are compared with the styles and preferences of non-traditional students taking courses in the MBA program who have had previous managerial work experience. The sample consists of undergraduate and executive MBA students studying in the Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. A significant difference in the cognitive styles of the two groups was not detected, but differences in the learning styles and preferences were observed. This study supports the idea
That cognitive styles are more stable and not easily influenced by environmental contexts when compared to learning styles and learning preferences.