Learning style preferences of architecture and interior design students in Saudi Arabia: A survey

Wafa Labib; Irene Pasina; Abdelhakim Abdelhadi; Goze Bayram; Mohammad Nurunnabi

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2019.04.021

Learning style preferences of architecture and interior design students in Saudi Arabia: A survey

MethodsX. 2019 Apr 24:6:961-967. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2019.04.021. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Wafa Labib¹, Irene Pasina¹, Abdelhakim Abdelhadi¹, Goze Bayram¹, Mohammad Nurunnabi^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University, P.O. Box 66833, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia.
² College of Business Administration, Prince Sultan University, P.O. Box 66833, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia.
³ St. Antony's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, 62 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6JF, UK.

Abstract

This method article examines the Felder and Soloman's (1999) Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire in the context of Saudi Arabian higher education. Specifically, it aims at exploring the learning styles preferences among the students in Interior Design and Architecture program. Clustering approach is used by grouping students based on the similarities measure of their learning style. The findings reveal that students in both programs share learning style of Reflective, Intuitive, Verbal and Global at 57% or higher. •Little research has focused on the Learning Styles preferences in higher education.•There is no significant difference of learning style preferences between Interior Design and Architecture students.•Reflecting learning style in university is reinforced by local elementary and high schools•The data can be used by the scientific community to explore differences in learning style preferences (e.g. students of different genders).

Keywords: Architecture; Interior design; Learning style; Questionnaire survey; Saudi Arabia; Student preferences; Survey Questionnaire.