Learning Styles: Differences in Undergraduate versus Graduate Entry Level Athletic Training Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the preferred learning style of undergraduate and graduate entry level athletic training students. This study also investigated the preference of males and females in both groups. Marshall and Merrit's Student Learning Style Questionnaire (1986) based on Kolb's theory was used to survey 429 undergraduate and 69 graduate students. The preferred learning style of undergraduate entry level athletic training students was Diverger, which was the same as the graduate students, and males and females of each group. There was no significant difference of preferred learning style between undergraduate and graduate students or between the males and females. Using the Chi-Square goodness of fit test, it was concluded that the Diverger learning style was preferred by undergraduate and graduate entry level athletic training students and was statistically significant.