Learning Styles and Motivational Styles in Different Academic Contexts: A Longitudinal Study

In this study, individual differences among the first year undergraduate students' learning styles and motivational styles were examined in two different academic contexts. Changes in students' learning styles and motivational styles were also investigated through a longitudinal design over one academic year. The results of this study showed that both students' learning styles and motivational styles were domain-specific, malleable, and independent constructs. Furthermore, the present study revealed that style conceptualization was appropriate to capture the malleable nature of learning and motivation. Finally, it was also found that students' learning styles did not significantly differ according to their motivational styles both at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. Educational implications and directions for future research were also emphasized in this study. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.)