Identifying the Prevailing Cognitive Style used among Public Universities Students in the Northern Jordanian Region

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the cognitive style prevailing among

students of public universities in the Northern Jordanian Region. The

study sample consisted of 1189 male and female students who were chosen

randomly.

To achieve the objectives of this study, the researchers used Group

Embedded Figures Test- GEFT- (Witken et al.,1977) to measure the cognitive

style (field- dependent; field- independent) of the study population. The results

of the study were as follows:

1. The dominant cognitive style of the respondents was of the field- dependent

style, where the mean value amounted to (8.42) which is below the decisive

degree (9) .

2. There were no significant statistical differences in the means of students’

grades that are attributed to the variables of gender and year of study.

3. The averages of students’ grades showed significant differences attributed

to faculty variable in favor of students of science faculties.

4. There were significant differences in the means of students’ grades

attributed to the university variable in favor of students’ means at the

Jordanian University of Science and Technology.

5. The study revealed that there were differences in the means of students’

grades attributed to the academic achievement in favor of academic

achievement: good, very good and excellent.

6. There was significant statistical effect attributed to the variables of

the university, faculty and academic achievement, while there were

no significant statistical effects for the variables of gender and year of

study.