Learning style, learning climate congruence: What does this mean for the self-efficacy and affective commitment of Australian academics?

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine whether the congruence between learning style and learning climate influences the self-efficacy and affective commitment of university academics. The research design is quantitative, involving survey research. A non-probability sample of 900 academics from a large Australian university was selected with a response rate of 30.33%. The study found that the congruence between learning style and preferred learning climate influenced the self-efficacy and affective commitment of academics. More specifically, the incongruence between learning style and preferred learning climate lowered the self-efficacy and affective commitment of university academics. These findings pose important implications for academic and faculty managers in the need to devise strategies to identify learning preferences to aid the development and retention of their academics.