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- Title
How Cognitive Style and Problem Complexity Affect Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers' Abilities to Solve Problems in Agricultural Mechanics.
- Authors
Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane; Lamm, Alexa J.
- Abstract
The purpose of this experimental study was to determine the effects of cognitive style and problem complexity on Oklahoma State University preservice agriculture teachers' (N = 56) ability to solve problems in small gasoline engines. Time to solution was operationalized as problem solving ability. Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Inventory was administered to determine cognitive style as more adaptive or more innovative. Preservice teachers were assigned randomly, by cognitive style, to solve either a simple or complex problem in a small gasoline engine. The simple problem was related to the electrical system of the engine - specifically, a closed spark plug gap. The complex problem was related to the fuel/air delivery system; specifically, debris was placed into the main jet of the carburetor. To determine content knowledge, students were administered a 30-item, researcher developed criterion-referenced test. The findings of this study indicated that no statistically significant differences existed in content knowledge based on cognitive style. All students were able to solve their problem successfully; however, regarding time to solution, a statistically significant interaction effect existed between cognitive style and problem complexity. A simple main effects test revealed a statistically significant difference between the more innovative students based on problem complexity.
- Subjects
COGNITIVE styles; STUDENT teachers; AGRICULTURAL education; PROBLEM solving ability testing; AGRICULTURAL mechanics; OKLAHOMA State University; AGRICULTURE teachers
- Publication
Journal of Agricultural Education, 2014, Vol 55, Issue 4, p133
- ISSN
1042-0541
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5032/jae.2014.04133