The effects of culture and training on learning styles and performance of spatial tasks of United States and Swazi university students enrolled in apparel design courses

The relationship of culture and training on learning style and performance of spatial skills of U.S. and Swazi students enrolled in apparel design courses was investigated. The participants studied included 88 U.S. and 97 Swazi university students enrolled in apparel design courses. To measure spatial tasks the Apparel Spatial Visualization Test (ASVT) (Workman, Caldwell & Kallal, 1999) was used. Preferred learning styles was measured by the Perceptual Modality Preference Survey (PMPS) (Cherry, 1981). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that spatial performance and learning style were affected by culture of participants, Hotelling's Trace: F (15, 152) = 5.08, p < .000. The ANOVA results of performance on spatial tasks between U.S. and Swazi students as measured by the ASVT revealed that U.S. students scored higher than Swazi students. Swazi students had a greater preference for the print, haptic, kinesthetic, and olfactory modalities than U.S. students who indicated a greater preference for the visual modality. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the dependent variables, spatial performance and learning style, as measured by the ASVT and PMPS, were affected by training of participant, Hotelling's Trace: F (15, 152) = 2.12, p < .012. The ANOVA showed statistically significant differences between students enrolled in lower level and upper level apparel design courses as measured by the ASVT. There were no statistically significant differences between students enrolled in lower level and upper level apparel design courses as measured by the PMPS. Findings of the study indicate it is apparent that culture and learning styles affected the participants' performance on spatial tasks. Consistency with previous research shows that variables of culture, training, and learning style are related to training for careers in fields such as apparel design. An implication that arose concerned the need for the awareness of students' cultural and learning styles. Recommendations of the study suggest that instructors should increase their awareness of students' learning style and have flexibility with instruction methods that integrate greater use of perceptual modalities; the use of culturally sensitive measurement tools; and the encouragement of cross-cultural research among Western and non-Western instructors.