MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ LEARNING STYLES AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF PROFESSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.383Keywords:
learning styles, Kolb Learning Style Inventory, profession perception, mechanical engineering studentsAbstract
In this study, it was aimed to explore learning styles of third year mechanical engineering students and also their perception of profession. Ninety-nine third year students studying mechanical engineering at a university located southwest of Turkey were the participants of this study. Data were collected through Kolb Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI) and a Word Association Test with the keyword “engineer” (WAT). Data obtained from KLSI were used in order to identify the participants’ learning styles and data gathered by WAT were used to obtain information about their perception of their future profession. Four groups, namely assimilators, accommodators, divergers, and convergers were formed according to analysis of KLSI and WAT’s of each group have examined separately. Conceptualizing of their future profession for each learning group was visualized by concept maps. It was found that majority of participants have assimilating and converging learning styles and learning styles have an effect on their perception of profession.
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