Cognitive style and educational performance. The case of public schools in Bogotá, Colombia

• Published in: Educational psychology (Dorchester-on-Thames) Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 719 - 737
• Main Authors: Hederich-Martínez, Christian, Camargo-Uribe, Angela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dorchester-on-Thames Routledge 20.04.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; academic performance; Achievement Need; adolescent; Case Studies; Cognitive Style; cognitive styles; Colombia; Correlation; Educational psychology; Foreign Countries; Grade 10; Grade 8; Grade 9; Grades (Scholastic); Path Analysis; Predictor Variables; Public Schools; school subject; Self Supporting Students; Standardized Tests; Students; Colombia
• ISSN: 0144-3410; 1469-5820
• DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2015.1091916

This study analyses the relationships among educational performance, field dependence-independence cognitive style and factors traditionally associated with performance and style, to build a comprehensive model of factors associated with the levels of education performance of students in Bogotá. A total of 3003 students, of grades 8 and 10, from 62 public schools of the city of Bogotá, Colombia participated in the study. An analysis of multiple correspondences and a path analysis were carried out. A relationship between cognitive style and educational performance was found: field-independent students are more likely to obtain high-performance levels both in standardised tests and in teachers' evaluations. The path analysis shows that there are two directions in the association: a direct path leads to a positive association: higher levels of field independence produce better performances; an indirect path leads to a negative association: higher levels of field independence produce indiscipline and, consequently, lower performances.