Gender and Analytic-Intuitive Learning Style

Learners with different learning styles learn differently when they use the same material. It is also believed that learners can learn better from the same materials if they are able to adopt appropriate strategies. Thus adoption of learning strategies is directly related to the individuals’ learning style. Since learning styles are considered to be innate to individuals, they can certainly affect their learning processes, including learning a second language. This paper investigates the effect of gender on taking intuitive or analytical approaches in learning English as a second language. The study included 50 adult EFL learners of both genders who took part in IELTS listening/speaking classes and answered a Cognitive Style Index questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data obtained from the 38-item questionnaire through interpretation of the discriminating items and statistical analysis of t-test, made it clear that male students prefer to adopt more analytical approaches and female students have a tendency towards more intuitive ones.

Keywords:

learning style , analytic learners , intuitive learners , gender , International English Language Testing System (IELTS)