Journal of Agricultural Education - Vol. 37, No. 3, 1996

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the problem solving approach to the subject matter approach in teaching given units of instructions to students of varying learning styles. Results indicated that three distinct learning styles were present in high school agriculture classes (fieldindependent, field-dependent, field-neutral). The majority of students was field-independent. As the treatment, neither the problem solving nor subject matter approach produced significantly higher achievement scores in classes taught by the respective approach. Likewise, the learning style of the student did not result in significantly higher scores. However, when teaching approach was analyzed across learning styles, field-neutral learners were found to score significantly higher on achievement tests when taught in classes using the problem solving approach. The selection of an appropriate teaching framework for this study. Adapted to this study, the approach is important to the success of the teaching Mitzel model suggests that with teacher effects and learning process. To be successful, teachers (presage variables) held constant, the effectiveness should select and use a wide variety of teaching of a teaching approach (process variable) on student strategies (Joyce & Harootunian, 1967). Research achievement (product variable) is moderated by the on learning and teaching styles can serve as a basis learning styles of the students (context variable). It for this selection (Canfield & Canfield, 1976). is therefore necessary to determine and address Joyce and Weil (1986) proposed that students effectiveness of a teaching approach. react differently to different teaching methods, and that the selection of the proper method is critical to Research on the learning styles of students the learning style of those being served by the enrolled in agriculture generally portray them as instruction. They further contended that some concrete learners (Cano & Garton, 1994; Cox, students may possess a style of learning which Sproles, & Sproles, 1988; Howard & Yoder, 1987; promotes the effectiveness of the problem solving Raven, Wright, & Shelhamer, 1994; Rollins, 1990; approach. On the other hand, some students Witkin et al., 1977). As such, these students usually possess a learning style which is not complimentary prefer more action-oriented, practical classes (Cox to the solution of problems (Witkin, Moore, et al.). However, other learning styles do exist Goodenough, & Cox, 1977). For these students the (Gregorc, 1982). problem solving approach to teaching agriculture would have little effect on improvement in learning. Witkin, Oltman, Raskin, and Karp (1971) depicted An adaptation of the Mitzel model presented by extreme scores are common, Witkin et al. noted that Dunkin and Biddle (1974) provided the theoretical the world is not peopled by two distinctly different differing learning styles in evaluating the learning styles in a linear dimension. Whereas