Análise dos Estilos de Apredizagem dos Alunos e Professores do Curso de Graduação em Ciências Contábeis de uma Universidade Pública do Estado do Paraná com a Aplicação do Inventário de David Kolb

Abstract

    This paper presents the results reached in a research based on the use of the Kolb Test to identify learning styles of both students and professors in the Graduation Course in Accounting Sciences at the Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (UEPG). The data obtained with 247 students and 22 teachers, during the year of 2005, allows us to presume that although the dominant learning style of most students in the research (53%) falls in the category of “active experimentation”, the majority of professors (45%) give preference to the style named “abstract conceptualization”. These figures show a divergence between students' preferred learning way and professors' teaching approach. In other words, while professors favor teaching through concepts and the foundations, aiming at productivity and competence, teaching students abilities that will foster performance, most students treasure learning with professors who encourage them to learn through experimentation and self-discovery, and who promote the enhancement of their students' intellectual boundaries. It is thus imperative that the current teaching methods used by these professors are revised and that strategies that are more adequate may be implemented to harmonize with the different learning styles of students.