Field Dependent-Independent Cognitive Styles as Correlates of Reading Comprehension Performance among Form Two Students in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

The problem addressed by this study was that secondary school teachers in Kenya have largely ignored the cognitive learning styles of students in their pedagogical strategies. The teachers have been mostly using talk-chalk method, which may be attributed to dismal performance in reading comprehension in English especially in sub county secondary schools. Scholarly efforts to address this issue have majorly focused on non-cognitive factors. The study was anchored on the field dependence-independence theory of cognitive styles. This study used correlational research design. The sample size was 20 public day schools representing 11% and 860 form two students representing 10.6%. The study used a modified Group Embedded Figures Test and English comprehension test. The pilot study was carried out in two schools with a sample of 30 students to establish the reliability and validity of the research tools. Data analysis involved the use of Pearson correlation and t-test to test the research hypotheses with the aid of SPSS program version 23. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between field independent cognitive learning style and reading comprehension performance, r (452) = .32, P = .01. The results also indicated that there was a positive significant correlation between field dependent cognitive learning style and reading comprehension score, r (404) = .48, P = .00. The findings revealed that the mean score difference in reading comprehension performance of respondents with FI and FD cognitive learning styles was statistically significant, t (854) = -2.13, p = .03. The study recommends that curriculum designers and the developers of learning content should include cognitive learning styles in learning books to educate secondary school students on the importance of these styles in educational achievement. Teachers should use diverse teaching methods that cater for the different cognitive learning styles to improve reading comprehension performance.