Learning by Employing Educational Multimedia in Field-dependent and Field-independent Cognitive Styles

Cognitive learning styles are relatively fixed procedures using which individuals receive, process and organize information. This paper aims to examine academic achievement in English for both field dependence and field independence learning styles using educational multimedia. The sample of the study consisted of 40 second-grade female students of secondary school in Kermanshah. The instrument used in the study was The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and a teacher made English test. Results which were analyzed by t-test indicated that instruction based on field dependence style with using multimedia works were more effective in improving students' creative thinking performance in student than field independence. Also in field dependence style students will have a better memory to memorize verbal information, whereas in field independence one students act analytically toward the main subject materials. Interestingly, in field dependence style students have a higher interest in continuing their study than in field independent style, as a result they are more successful in utilizing what their environment according to their needs.