Award Date

1-1-2003

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Robert H. Woods

Number of Pages

85

Abstract

This study attempts to bridge the gap between effective teaching and empirical research on hospitality education by bringing a learning-based theoretical framework and a validated assessment tool together within a research setting. A specific objective of the study was to determine the effect of students' learning styles on student course achievement. The author examined the effect of learning styles and instructional strategies on student course achievement in consideration with students' GPA, and the influence of demographic variables including gender, age, class standing, student classification as being either international or domestic, and students' industry experience. Additionally, the relationship between students' overall satisfaction with instructional methods utilized in the classroom and students' course achievement was explored. The study also offers a unique comprehensive approach where the above-mentioned variables and concepts are included together within the same research study; The results of the analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between students' dominant learning style and student course achievement. An interesting finding of this study was that when students perceived the classroom instruction provided to match their preferred learning styles, they demonstrated higher overall satisfaction with instructional methods utilized in the classroom. In accordance, it was determined that higher overall satisfaction with instructional methods utilized in the classroom led to higher student course achievement. It is suggested that future research must repeat similar studies across a variety of hospitality courses to establish patterns of learners' preferred learning styles and learners' reaction to instructional methods. Such efforts could potentially help hospitality educators revise and modify lesson plans to accommodate all learning styles in the classroom. Further, evidence of patterns obtained from such types of research could help establish a guide for addressing the needs of particular learners, grouped by their dominant learning styles, and customize instructional content accordingly.

Keywords

Achievement; Course; Effects; Examining; Hospitality; Learning; Method; Students; Students; Style; Teaching

Controlled Subject

Curriculum planning; Educational psychology

File Format

pdf

File Size

2017.28 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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