Examining the relationships among 11th grade english as a foreign language (EFL) learners' vocational programs, cognitive styles and learning style preferences

The current study aimed to explore (1a) Field Dependence-Independence (FDI) cognitive style of 11th grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners studying at chemical technologies and child development-education programs in a Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Istanbul, (1b) the relation between their cognitive styles and their choice of vocational programs; (2a) the deductive-inductive learning style preferences of field dependent and field independent learners in both programs, (2b) the relation between their preferences of deductive-inductive learning styles and the vocational programs; and (3) the relation between their FDI cognitive style and learning style preferences. To achieve these purposes, 169 participants were administered the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and the Learning Style Survey (LSS) in Turkish language version. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and the phi correlation coefficient (phi) were used. The results revealed that the students at chemical technologies program were significantly more field independent whereas the students studying at child development-education program were significantly more field dependent. In total, the learners were found to be predominantly field dependent. In terms of learning style preferences, in chemical technologies program, field independent learners mainly preferred deductive way of learning while field dependent learners mainly preferred inductive learning style. In child development-education program, both the field dependent and the field independent learners mainly preferred inductive learning. In total, inductive learning was more preferred style. The study revealed a significant relation between FDI cognitive style and the vocational programs but not between the learning style preferences and the vocational programs. The study also revealed a significant relation between the learners' cognitive styles and learning style preferences. The findings of the study can inspire curriculum developers and language teachers to rearrange the curriculums/lessons plans on the basis of the EFL learners' cognitive styles and learning style preferences, and researchers to conduct more studies for an in-depth exploration of other cognitive styles as well. In this regard, the present study may even be the one that pioneers new studies in the fields of vocational education and EFL.