Predominant Learning Styles and Metacognitive Skills among STEAM undergraduate students: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between learning styles and metacognitive skills among STEAM undergraduate students. Grounded in Honey and Mumford’s learning style framework, the study investigated four learning styles—Activist, Reflector, Theorist, and Pragmatist—and their predictive association with metacognitive skills. A quantitative correlational research design was employed with a sample of 400 STEAM undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling from Arts, Engineering, Mathematics, Science, and Technology disciplines. Data were collected using the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) developed by Honey and Mumford (1992) and the Metacognitive Activities Inventory (MCAI) by Cooper and Sandi Urena (2009). Statistical analyses included reliability analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Pearson correlation, regression analysis, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Mann–Whitney U test, SEM model.

The findings demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for all learning style scales (Cronbach’s α = .787–.837; KMO = .790–.863). Significant disciplinary differences were observed across all four learning styles. Arts students reported comparatively higher learning style mean scores, whereas Technology students demonstrated lower scores and greater variability. Reflector (r = .150, p = .003) and Pragmatist (r = .137, p = .006) learning styles showed significant positive relationships with metacognitive skills. Regression analysis further revealed that Reflector (B = 0.483, p = .003) and Pragmatist (B = 0.475, p = .006) learning styles significantly predicted metacognitive skills. Regression analysis indicated significant positive predictive effects for Reflector and Pragmatist orientations, whereas structural path analysis revealed a significant negative effect for Activist orientation on metacognitive skills.

The study concludes that reflective and practical learning orientations contribute positively to metacognitive regulation among STEAM undergraduate students. The findings underscore the importance of integrating reflective learning activities and metacognitive strategy instruction within interdisciplinary STEAM education..