The Influence of Teachers’ Cognitive Styles on their Teaching Strategies

Abstract

This study examines the influence of teachers’ cognitive styles on their teaching strategies. The Cognitive Style Test (Kagan, Moss and Siegel, 1963) was used to group IS secondary school Chemistry teachers into analytical and relational cognitive style dimensions and four lessons of each of the 16 teachers were observed over a period of eight weeks using the Science Teaching Observation Schedule (Eggleston, Galton and Jones, 1975). Results indicate positive relationships between teachers’ cognitive styles and their teaching methods. The analytical teachers favoured factual presentation while the relational teachers preferred the experimental approach of teaching. A major implication of the findings is that the identification of prospective and serving teachers’ cognitive styles may aid teacher educators in planning appropriate programmes for both pre- and in-service training of teachers.