Metacognition of learning among university students: The relationship between cognitive style, learning style, need for closure and locomotion

Current theories of learning emphasise that learning is an active, constructive, cumulative, and goal-oriented process that involves problem solving. In other words, it is necessary to think in order to learn (Cano-Garcìa & Huges, 2000). The purpose of this research is to investigate the relation between cognitive and learning styles. In particular, the study investigates the moderation role of the Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC; Kruglanski & Webster, 1996) and two distinct self-regulatory modes, Locomotion and Assessment, that have been shown to underlie most goal-directed activity (Kruglanski et al., 2000). Results showed that the relationship is significant for four cognitive styles: monarchic, judicial, hierarchic (accommodating, assimilating), executive (converging, assimilating). Individual difference variables moderate the relationship between cognitive and learning styles. Moderating effects, however, were found only for the need for closure. In particular, need for closure moderate the relation between six cognitive styles (oligarchic, monarchic, legislative, global, anarchic, hierarchic) and the learning styles diverging; it moderates the relationship between three cognitive styles (oligarchic, legislative, anarchic) and the learning style converging.