Comparison of personality types and learning styles of engineering students, agricultural systems management students, and faculty in an agricultural and biological engineering department

This study investigated differences in learning styles and personality types among engineering students, agricultural systems management students, and faculty in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Learning styles and personality types were evaluated using the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), respectively. Mean values for the GEFT for all three groups indicated a strong preference for the field-independent learning style. There were no significant differences in MBTI type preferences between engineering students and faculty. However, the agricultural systems management students differed significantly (p < 0.05) from faculty in their preference for Perceiving and from engineering students in their preference for Sensing. Results of the study are useful in helping faculty better understand and improve the teaching and learning process involving the two groups of students.