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Age and gender differences in temperament-based learning styles among Nigerian children

This study examined the temperament-based learning styles of Nigerian children with respect to their social, academic and other forms of development. The Student Styles Questionnaire (SSQ)  ,developed by Oakland, Glutting &, Horton (1996) was used to acquire temperament-based learning information from 400 Nigerian children in two public schools located within the University of Lagos in Lagos, Nigeria. The schools are: a primary school having six arms in each of the classes from primaries 1-6, and a secondary school also having six arms in each of the classes from junior secondary 1-3 and senior secondary 1-3. No particular class was having less than 30 children on the roll. The subjects were randomly selected according to age and gender. Additional information were acquired as to their preference for courses, activities they most and least enjoy, vocational interest and personal values. The SSQ has been proved to be a valid and reliable measure of temperament-based learning and personality (Oakland, Mogaji &, Dempsey, 2006). The sample included 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females) each from four age groups: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-17 years. The SSQ was used to measure four bi-polar qualities: extroversion-introversion (EI), practical-imaginative (PM), thinking-feeling (TF), and organized-flexible (OL) styles. The test-retest reliability coefficients, derived over an 8-month period, are: .80, .67, .70, and .78 for EI, PM, TF and OL scales respectively. Analysing the data with chi-square shows that female children prefer feeling and organized styles while male children tend to prefer thinking and flexible styles. Age differences were only observed in organized-flexible styles, with a preference for flexible style increasing with age. The results have implications for learning, relating and working among the subjects. Findings show personal preferences that are associated with the four temperament-based learning styles among the subjects. Subsequent research could be directed toward examining whether instructional methods consistent with students’, learning style, facilitate high levels of academic attainment and achievement.KEY WORDS: Temperament-based learning styles, Age differences in temperament-based ,learning styles, Gender differences in temperament-based learning styles, Nigerian children temperament-based learning styles.

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