Date
11-2021
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Wesley Scott
Keywords
Learning Style, Achievement, GPA, Bible College, Retention
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Education
Recommended Citation
Stetler, Frances Ann, "The Relationship Among Learning Styles, Achievement, and Retention in Bible College Freshmen: A Correlational Study" (2021). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 3257.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3257
Abstract
This predictive correlational study used a multiple regression to examine whether learning style and achievement, or grade point average (GPA), can predict retention for first-year, traditional Bible college freshmen. Four small Bible colleges were the sites for the research: one in Florida, two in Ohio (Northern Ohio and Southwestern Ohio), and one in Pennsylvania. The first predictor variable, learning style, was generally defined as the preferred method for a student to process and learn information. The second predictor variable, achievement, was generally defined as the end-of-semester GPA. The criterion variable, retention, was generally defined as a participant’s attendance in the semester following the data collection for learning styles and GPA. This research was designed to broaden the understanding of how students learn and, specifically, to test whether learning style and GPA can predict retention in Bible college students. Practically, the study sought this link among learning style, GPA, and retention in the participants’ second semester at Bible college to prepare possible at-risk students for early intervention. Data was collected at the sites during the last quarter of the fall semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. This research had 30 participants (N = 30). It identified a small, but significant, connection among learning styles, GPA, and retention. The results of this study focused on Bible college freshmen in the Conservative Holiness Movement (CHM). Further research is recommended to extend the results to public colleges and universities. A research study that was initiated within the first weeks of the fall semester would identify potential at-risk students, providing an opportunity for early intervention.
