Exploring the dominant learning styles of adult learners in higher education

Abstract

In today’s complex and knowledge-driven world, the quest to pursue and acquire information and skills to enable one to be useful in society is not limited to young learners; many older adults also actively seek to acquire new knowledge and skills. The study presented in this article aims to establish the characteristics and dominant learning styles of adults enrolled in a diploma programme at an institution of higher education in Ghana. In a qualitative case study approach using a homogenous sampling technique, 21 students (aged 27–54, 10 female, 11 male) were asked to fill in a learning styles questionnaire and to participate in focus group interviews. Based on these participants’ responses, the study found three learning styles to be dominant: pragmatist, reflector and theorist. An interesting finding was the absence of a fourth type among participants, the activist learning style. Since it is clear that not all adult learners engage well with the typical theoretical and conceptual content that is taught in higher education institutions, understanding these four adult learning styles should inform higher education policies in order to make learning equally enjoyable and maximise effective learning for all four types of adult learners. Other significant findings of this study open up avenues for further research on how an understanding of learning styles can be used to enhance learning by adults.