Exploring Learning Styles of University Students Involved in Entrepreneurial Activities

Abstract

This study explored the learning styles of a sample population of students attending a land-grant university in the Southern region of the United States who were participating in entrepreneurial activities in parallel with their pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree. Data for analysis were collected using a demographic survey and the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory Version 3.2. Data were collected by learning style, gender, ethnicity, age, and year of study. In addition, the demographics of the study population were compared to the enrolled student population at the university studied. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory characteristics of the study population were also compared to two earlier Kolb Learning Style Inventory studies with different study populations. The study results suggested that faculty and staff at the university studied who interact with the study population can expect the primary learning style of those student entrepreneurs to span the full range of the nine Kolb learning styles. Compared to the enrolled population at the university studied, the sample population of student entrepreneurs had fewer Female students than Male students. The largest number of the study population’s ethnic groups were White students, followed by Asian or Pacific Islanders, followed by Black or African American students, followed by Hispanic or Latino students, followed by American Indian or Alaskan Native students.