Prediction of university science laboratory education outcomes from learning styles, gender, and prior laboratory experience

Recent reports on science education indicate that in spite of the importance of science in our increasingly technological society, student achievement in science has not significantly improved and student interest in science leaves much to be desired. Science achievement efforts have been emphasized at the pre-college level, yet little is known about the determinants of success in college laboratory science.;The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of student learning style on science laboratory achievement and attitude toward laboratory science. In addition, the study investigated the contributions of gender and prior laboratory experience in accounting for the variance in student performance in laboratory science course grades and student attitudes toward laboratory science.;The subjects of the study were 104 students enrolled in a cell biology laboratory course at a public university. They were administered the Background Questionnaire to obtain data on demographic characteristics, previous science performance, Student Attitudes toward Laboratory Science and Kolb's Learning Style Inventory as a measure of learning style.;Two standard multiple regression analyses were performed. The predictor variables in both analyses were: student learning style, prior laboratory experience, and gender. Six hypotheses were examined. Only gender contributed significantly to the prediction of laboratory science course grade in favor of males. Although learning style did not significantly influence student success in laboratory science, the difference between the convergents and the divergents were in the expected direction. None of the predictor variables contributed significantly to the prediction of student attitude toward laboratory science. Since analysis of formal science course-taking history revealed no gender differences, it was suggested that, with adequate sample size, more relevant background and process variables be examined.