The Contextual Environment as a Catalyst for Change in the Learning Process and Learning Styles of Students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i21.43415

Keywords:

contextual changes, learning styles, extended learning styles, teaching-learning process, ; secondary education, education engineering

Abstract


This study aims to assess whether students’ learning styles have changed due to the environmental context changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. This analysis is important because learning styles, in addition to predicting vocational outcomes, must inform the design of pedagogical practices and supports used in the teaching environment. To achieve this objective, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on three cohorts of students who enrolled in an engineering course. Students in group 2 have been under confinement conditions during the previous year, while students in group 3 have been under confinement conditions for the previous two years. Group 1 consists of students who did not experience any confinement. The obtained results lead to the following conclusions: (i) The pandemic outbreak has led to environmental changes, pedagogical practices, and changes in the personality profiles of students, which can significantly impact the learning styles of students entering an engineering degree. (ii) While some learning styles are more susceptible to change, others remain resilient. (iii) The duration of exposure to the environmental changes caused by the pandemic outbreak has a greater impact on the changes in these learning styles.

Author Biographies

Marina Sousa, Polytechnic of Porto

Marina Sousa is a professor at the Department of Organisation and Management at the School of Engineering of Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal. She has a specialization in Strategic Management of Universities at the Polytechnic University of Catalunya, a Master degree in Social and Legal Sciences, specialization in Economics, Business and Labour and a PhD in Economic and Business Sciences from the University of Extremadura. She was Vice-President and member of the Board of Management of the Polytechnic of Porto. She was Chief Executive Officer of the Polytechnic of Porto Foundation. The main fields of interest are Globalization, Internationalization, European Integration, Strategic Management, Governance of Higher Education and Engineering Education.

Jorge Mendonça, Polytechnic of Porto

Jorge Mendonça is a professor at the Department of Mathematics at the School of Engineering of Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal. He holds a PhD degree in Statistics and Operational Research from the University of Vigo, a master’s degree in Statistics and Probability from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. He holds a Degree in Educational Mathematics from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. He is co-coordinator of the Erasmus project-DRIVE-MATH - Development of Innovative Mathematical Teaching Strategies in European Engineering Degrees. His main research areas are Engineering Education and Statistics (Survival analysis, Survey analysis).

Eunice Fontão

Eunice Fontão is a professor at the Department of Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering of Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal. She graduated in Civil Engineering from Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and completed a Master in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Civil Engineering in the same University. She began her career in construction business. She was member of the School of Engineering of Polytechnic Representatives Council is at the present a member of the Technical and Scientific Council. The main fields of interest are Energy Efficiency Urban Planning and Engineering Education.

Cover iJET – Vol 18, No 21, 2023

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Published

2023-11-10

How to Cite

Sousa, M., Mendonça, J., & Fontão, E. (2023). The Contextual Environment as a Catalyst for Change in the Learning Process and Learning Styles of Students. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 18(21), pp. 199–218. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i21.43415

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 21 (2023)

Section

Papers

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Copyright (c) 2023 Marina Sousa, Jorge Mendonça, Eunice Fontão

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