Information Research Cadre Topical Research Results

Completed by Candice Bocala (cbocala@wested.com) Date Received: May 31, 2012 Requestor: Research Need:
Is there any research information out there about adult learning stylesconsidering cultural differences? Preference for a Native American focus.

Deadline: June 15, 2012

(include contact info)

Date Completed: June 14, 2012

Send Response To: (if different from requestor)

--

Shauna Crane, shauna.crane@usu.edu

Subject Terms:
PEOPLE & CULTURES

(TACC Controlled Vocabulary)

Age Group Adult Ethnicity/Cultural African American Alaska native Asian Hispanic Native American Pacific Islander Families School/community/family partnerships

How does the requestor plan to use this information?

Parent centers will use the information to provide information to parents in a culturally sensitive and effective way.

What sources have already been searched/found by the requestor?

None.

RESPONSE
BRIEF SUMMARY Researchers searched an academic journal database (EBSCO) and performed a general internet search using the search terms adult learning styles, culture, cross-cultural, and adult learning. The search uncovered two types of resources, both academic or scholarly literature about the influence of culture on adult learning styles as well as guides or information briefs about working with adults with cultural differences. Resources with a focus on Native American populations were prioritized for inclusion in this review.

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RESOURCES (with hyperlinks if possible) Academic / Scholarly Literature Manikutty, S., Anuradha, N. S., & Hansen, K. (2007). Does culture influence learning styles in higher education? International Journal of Learning and Change, 2(1), 70-87. Retrieved from: http://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/15675/01/05_Manikutty.pdf This paper develops a framework for understanding the relationships between approaches to learning adopted by students in the context of higher education and the culture of the country they were brought up in. The paper, after examining the more widely used Kolb's learning styles, opts for another categorisation, namely the so called learning approaches developed by Entwistle and others (for example, Entwistle and Ramsden, 1983; Biggs, 1987; Entwistle, 1992; Tait, Entwistle and McCune, 1998; Biggs, Kember and Leung, 2001). Each of the main categories of learning approaches identified by his school, namely, deep, surface apathetic, and strategic are related to Hofstede's cultural dimensions, namely, power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, long vs. short time orientation and masculinity vs. femininity and a series of hypotheses developed that could be tested in cross cultural samples. This study would give practical hints on students moving out to study in different cultures (e.g. for higher education) and for teachers dealing with students from multiple cultures. Orr, J. A. (2000). Learning from Native adult education. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, (85), 59-66. Full text for purchase at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ace.8506/abstract Part of a special issue on how educators can address the spiritual dimensions of adult education. Adult educators can learn much from Native-Americans' focus on the four directions of the medicine wheel: the emotional, physical, spiritual, and cognitive. Stories that indicate how spirituality is manifested in the practices of Native American adult educators and how it can be employed to inform both native and nonnative adult education are presented. Pewewardy, C. (2002). Learning styles of American Indian/Alaska native students: A review of the literature and implications for practice. Journal of American Indian Education, 41(3), 22-56. Retrieved from: http://jaie.asu.edu/v41/V41I3A2.pdf A review of theories, research, and models of the learning styles of American Indian/Alaska Native students reveals that American Indian/Alaska Native students generally learn in ways characterized by factors of social/affective emphasis, harmony, holistic perspectives, expressive creativity, and nonverbal communication. Underlying these approaches are assumptions that American Indian/Alaska Native students have been strongly influenced by their language, culture, and heritage, and that American Indian/Alaska Native children's learning styles are differentbut not deficient. Implications for interventions include
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recommendations for instructional practice, curriculum organization, assessment, and suggestions for future research. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. *Note: the following is an article about medical educators, but the content can be applied to adult learners in general. Phillips, R. & Vaughn, L.M. (2009). Diverse ways of knowing and learning: The impact of culture. The Open Medical Education Journal, 2, 49-56. Retrieved from http://benthamscience.com/open/tomededuj/articles/V002/SI0016TOMEDEDUJ/49TOM EDEDUJ.pdf Medical educators tend to approach teaching and learning grounded in their disciplines (content areas of expertise), culture of origin, and their own learning styles and ways of knowing. This article reviews dimensions for medical educators to consider in preparing themselves and their learners for maximum effectiveness through a lens of cultural awareness and understanding. Internationalization and advances in technology and communication have forever changed knowing and learning as we once knew them. Developments in communication and transportation permit work and learning to occur across many boundaries with large geographical and cultural distances. Audio- and teleconferencing, web- based delivery (both synchronous and asynchronous), internet resources, and email allow for work and learning to occur seemingly with no boundaries. However, the boundaries that do persist are typically due to misunderstandings related to cultural differences among the people and their educational institutions. These results are apparently based on the assumption that technology is either culture-blind or culture mitigating and hence that we can overcome distance and difference. Yet when we draw on social science (cultural anthropology), cognitive science (distinct learning activities and multiple intelligences) and educational psychology (learning styles) and test that assumption, we learn that our education practices, including applied technology, can be even more effective by keeping culture in mind. Specific instructional techniques have been identified as most effective across learning styles and include advance organizers and case method. These techniques also facilitate the stages of learning regardless of culture. Yamazaki, Y. (2005). Learning styles and typologies of cultural differences: A theoretical and empirical comparison. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(2005), 521-548. Retrieved from: http://learningfromexperience.com/media/2010/08/yoshitypologies-of-cultural-differences.pdf This study presents the relationship between six typologies of cultural differences and the learning styles of Kolbs learning model. Several cross-cultural studies about learning styles indicate that learning styles may differ from one culture to another, but few studies have addressed the question of which culture is related to which learning style or ability. The present study concerns this inquiry. Exploration of this inquiry has been made in two parts. The first part investigates conceptual analogies and relationships between Kolbs model and the six cultural typologies in the domains of anthropology, cross- cultural management, and
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cross-cultural psychology. The second part focuses on the empirical results of six comparative studies about cross-cultural differences in learning styles in the past and discusses how six propositions generated from the first theoretical examination can reflect upon their past empirical results. Those two examinations suggest that particular culture, as categorized in those domains, relates to certain learning styles or abilities. Practitioner Guides / Resources Imel, S. (2001). Adult education for Native Americans: Trends and issues alert no. 28. ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Retrieved from: http://calpro-online.org/ERIC/docs/tia00096.pdf In recent years, adult education for Native Americans has reflected broader goals and has been concerned with playing a role in preserving native language and culture rather than encouraging assimilation. These four trends appear in the literature related to adult education for Native Americans: how adult education theories and methods such as transformative learning, use of narrative, and selfdirected learning apply; identifying and acknowledging learning styles of Native American adults; approaches to conducting research with Native Americans in their communities; and identifying strategies for helping Native American adults achieve success in postsecondary and higher education. The diffuse nature of the literature on adult education for Native Americans is a serious issue. The literature base lacks depth; no strands of research and theory building can be detected; the literature does not seem to build on itself; and the topics of race and culture with regard to Native Americans have received insufficient attention. (Contains 21 resources that reflect the diffuse nature of the literature on adult education for Native Americans.) National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia, Melbourne Adult Education Resource and Information Service (ARIS). (1999). Adult learning: ARIS Information Sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED4 34223 This information sheet provides a summary of general observations regarding adult learners. Adults from different walks of life may seek out learning at different times in their lives, for different reasons, and for vastly different purposes. Adult learning groups may include students of different ages, cultures, and educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Adult education is provided in diverse settings for diverse purposes: from community education classes to workplace training. Adults seek out learning situations for various reasons, including the following: to achieve a predetermined goal; to fill a gap in education; to explore options and make choices; and for personal development, family, social, or community reasons. Teachers/trainers in adult education programs must become familiar with some of the general theories related to adult learning processes and must recognize and accommodate the reciprocal relationships
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between teaching and learning. A range of theories of adult education and learning exist along with a corresponding range of teaching methodologies, such as the following: traditional (teacher as expert); self-actualization (facilitated problem solving); humanist (teacher stimulates and suggests); revolutionary (teachers and learners are equal participants); and organizational effectiveness (curriculum is determined by organizational needs). Most adults have a preferred learning style. Adults may be primarily active, reflective, theorizing, or experiential learners. Motivation is critical to adult learning. Also included are a number of references for readers requiring further information. (13 references) (MN)

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