Analysis of Students\u27 Cognitive Style as Related to Their Level of Understanding Within the Domain of Mathematics

Subjects were middle school students enrolled in a public school setting. Initially, students\u27 cognitive styles were measured with the Test of Cognitive Style in mathematics which depicts three styles labeled as Inchworms , Medial , and Grasshoppers . Only students with Inchworm and Medial learning styles were found in this study. Subjects were given instruction on concept mapping. Following classroom instruction covering a unit of mathematics, students were given a list of words (i.e., concepts) pertinent to the unit and asked to construct their own concept map. Concept maps were scored using Novak and Gowin\u27s (1985) methodology. Classroom test scores covering unit material were compared with cognitive styles. Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations and t-tests. General findings suggested Medial students exhibited higher total concept map scores. These students also exhibited better integration for mathematical concept meanings. They failed, however, to demonstrate understanding which was relational and hierarchical in nature. Results also indicated that Inchworm students did not achieve significantly better on the unit classroom test compared to Medial students