EFFECTS OF TEACHING APPROACH ON PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WITH VARYING LEARNING STYLES

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the problem solving approach to the subject matter approach in producing increased problem solving ability in students of varying learning styles. Results indicated that the majority of males were field-independent learners, whereas slightly less than half of the female students were field-independent (48.8%). Results also indicated that students in classes taught by the problem solving approach produced significantly higher problem solving ability test scores than did students in classes taught by the subject matter approach. When teaching approach was analyzed across learning styles, field-independent learners taught by the problem solving approach exhibited significantly higher scores between pretests and posttests. No differences were found between the pretest and posttest scores of either field-dependent or field-neutral learners. Also, no differences across learning styles for the subject matter approach groups were detected. Over the past decade a new commitment to Joyce and Weil (1986) noted that the selectio n quality instruction and stu dent learning has emerged of a teaching method is critical to the learning style in the educational community. As a part of tha t of those being served by the instruction. Ronning, community, agricultural educators are reassessin g McCurdy, and Ballinger (1984) contended that past educational practices in an effort to determine some students may possess a style of learning which the effectiveness and validity of m ethods which have is not complimentary to the use of problem solving for years been practiced and proclaimed with almost instruction. religious fervor (Dyer, 1995). One of thos e methods is the problem solving approach t o teaching agricultural education. The proble m The theoretical framework for this study wa s solving approach has been widely accepted and founded in Mitzel’s conceptual model for the study recommended by agricultural educators as the best of classroom teaching (Dunkin & Biddle, 1974). method of teaching agriculture (Phipps & Osborne, Adapted to this study, the Mitzel model suggest s 1988). Today, that approach remains the primar y that the effectiveness of a teaching approac h method of teaching offered to preservice agriculture (process variable) on the problem solving ability of teachers in many teacher education programs. students (product variable) is moderated by th e However, critics of the problem solving approac h learning styles of the students (context variable ) accuse that while the approach has a soun d when teacher effects (presage variables) are hel d theoretical base, it has been accepted with littl e constant. Therefore, consideration of studen t empirical evidence to either defend or reject it s learning styles is a necessity in determining th e usefulness in the classroom (Moore & Moore , effectiveness of a particular teaching approach o n