BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS’ EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND STUDY ENGAGEMENT: KOLB’S MODEL ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Keywords:
Business Education, Experiential Learning, Kolb’s Learning Model, Study Engagement, Technical Education.Abstract
To address concerns about learning by experience among higher education students, this study was conducted to shed more light on the aspects of experiential learning that can influence students’ engagement in their academics. Drawing on Kolb’s experiential learning model, this study investigates the influence of experiential learning dimensions (viz., concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation) on the dimensions of study engagement (viz., vigor, dedication, and absorption). Four main hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study. The study was a cross-sectional correlation survey. The participants were Business and Technical education students (N = 663) drawn from four universities in three geo-political zones of Nigeria. Questionnaire was used for data collection and regression analysis was apllied for data analysis in order to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation are discrete predictors of each dimensions of study engagement – vigor, dedication and absorption. It was therefore recommended that any form of experiential learning should be geared towards promoting students concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation as the cycle will lead to improved academic engagement and outcomes.
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