Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Michael Horton

Abstract

Remediation has become a compensatory way for an increasing number of students to attend college. The problem addressed in this study was whether student intellectual strengths and learning style preferences were, in part, related to placement or enrollment in remediation courses. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess whether a particular learning style or dominant intellectual strength was characteristic of freshmen enrolled in remediation courses compared to freshmen not enrolled in remediation courses. This study filled a gap in the literature as no studies have analyzed the combination of learning style preferences with dominant intellectual strengths in an American college population. Its theoretical foundations were Gardner's multiple intelligence theory and Kolb's experiential learning theory. A total of 84 participants completed a demographics survey, the Multiple Intelligence Profiling Questionnaire III, and the Learning Styles Inventory. Results from the Spearman Rho correlation indicated a significant negative correlation between logistic/mathematical intellectual strengths and enrollment in remediation. For learning style preferences, students enrolled in remediation courses were significantly more likely to identify as Assimilating learners. Students in remediation were also significantly more likely to identify as Accommodating learners in comparison to students not enrolled in remediation courses. These results suggest that the college curriculum and how it is taught could be altered to accommodate both students' strengths and strengthen weaknesses in order to facilitate higher levels of academic success, ultimately leading to higher graduation rates and better employment opportunities; these improvements might, in turn, facilitate positive changes for communities in South Florida.

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