A profile of the learning styles of Iowa farmers

Studies focusing on learning styles of farmers are very limited. Knowledge of learning styles is important and can be useful in the development and conduct of adult education programs. The purpose of this study was to establish a baseline of information regarding the distribution of learning styles among Iowa farmers, and to establish for these same individuals their stated preferred learning mode for selected agricultural topics. A purposive sample was developed and distributed through the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. This self-administered survey was distributed to 1100 members of Farm Bureau county leadership committees. A panel of experts ensured the content validity of the survey instrument. A reliability analysis was conducted on the useable responses for sections B and C of the survey resulting in a Cronbach Alpha of .84 for each section. The learning style for each respondent was determined using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI). The most preferred learning style for the respondent sample was the Assimilator (49.1%). Other learning styles were: Accommodator (14.6%), Diverger (14.9%), and Converger (21.4%). The study shows that active experimentation seemed to be the preferred learning mode for agricultural topics related to physical farming resources (land, crops, livestock, machinery, and buildings) while abstract conceptualization was the preferred learning modes for more cognitive activities such as marketing and price discovery, whole farm planning, and financial management. Respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of 26 different learning activities Rating high were the use of consultants or specialists, attending field days, tours, and demonstrations, attending a single or a series of meetings on a specific topic, and studying and analyzing a problem on their own. The farmers who responded to the survey rated university and community college credit classes, watching a television program, audiotapes, and reading a newspaper much lower in terms of effectiveness. Although the results of this study cannot be generalized to the entire population of Iowa farmers, the results can still provide valuable information to educational providers as they plan and deliver educational programs to Iowa farmers.