COGNITIVE STYLES AND LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ADULT LEARNERS IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

This study was carried out to determine the prevalent cognitive styles and learning strategies of adult learners. It is believed that if these were known, adult education facilitators would be able to design and assemble teaching methods and learning activities through which adults would learn better and demonstrate superior knowledge retention and application. Data were gathered through the instrument entitled Adult Learners’ Cognitive Styles and Learning Strategies (ALCSLS). The data were analyzed using factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA and t-test. The findings included that most of the learners demonstrated verbaliser-imager continuum cognitive style (an individual’s tendency to process information either in words or images) although a considerable proportion took to the wholist-analytics cognitive style continuum (the tendency for individuals to process information either as an integrated whole or in discrete parts of the whole). Another finding was that strategies used included learning for practicality, goal-orientedness, relatedness to life experiences and knowledge, autonomy and self-directedness, relevancy and collaborativeness.