UNDERSTANDING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING OUTCOMES: THE ROLE OF LEARNING STYLES

Darren Nicholson, Marketing and Business Information Systems Department, Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University
Jennifer Nicholson, Marketing and Business Information Systems Department, Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University
Yide Shen, Marketing and Business Information Systems Department, Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University
Pingping Song, School of Business, Georgia Gwinnett College

Abstract

Despite extensive research on the influence of student engagement in the classroom on student learning outcomes, few studies have examined student learning styles and their engagement in learning activities. In this research-in-progress paper, we propose a research model to examine whether student engagement during role-play exercises will lead to better learning and satisfaction, and the role learning style plays in influencing engagement. We conducted a survey study to evaluate our research model. Preliminary results show partial support for our research model. Our research will make contributions to the theoretical understanding of the relationships between engagement, learning styles and learning outcomes. Our study will also provide practical guidance for instructors to design instructional activities that accommodate for individual learning style differences.