A Conceptual Exploration of Critical Thinking Style and Learning Styles: Supporting Educational Needs in Nepal

Agricultural education is crucial in nations such as Nepal where agriculture is the backbone of society. However, many Nepalese students face challenges due to a lack of access to a quality education, socio-economic disparities, and political instability. The diverse and evolving needs of its agricultural students need to be examined to ensure educational practices are responsive and inclusive. This study developed and tested a hypothesized integration of learning styles and critical thinking styles. A survey research design was employed, targeting agricultural education students in Nepal. The findings indicated male and female students exhibited different critical thinking styles, but their learning styles did not differ. Female students preferred seeking critical thinking styles, whereas males preferred engaging critical thinking styles; therefore, educational strategies should be tailored to encourage information seeking for female students and engagement for male students. Additionally, first-year students preferred Concrete Experience (CE) when learning, while fourth-year students preferred Abstract Experimentation (AE). Therefore, curricula should be designed to incorporate practical, real-world tasks for first-year students and more theoretical, application-based tasks for fourth-year students. The study also found significant relationships between engager critical thinking styles and AE and Reflective Observation (RO), and between seeker critical thinking styles and CE and AE. Unexpected inverse relationships were observed, indicating complex dynamics between these constructs and the need for additional exploration conceptually. The results underscore the importance of testing new conceptual models to develop structures for future study that will support the diverse and evolving needs of agricultural education students around the world.