David Kolb's Learning Styles and 21st Century Skills in Fourth Grade

Abstract

Personalized learning has become essential to address the diverse needs of students, making it crucial to adapt educational methods to individual learning styles. This study aimed to analyze the influence of learning styles, according to Kolb's model, on the development of 21st-century skills among fourth-grade students at the Jorge Mantilla Ortega Educational Unit. The employed methodology was quantitative, using an exploratory and correlational research design, with structured surveys to collect data on learning styles and critical skills. The sample consisted of 62 students selected through stratified probabilistic sampling. Results showed that the pragmatic style was the most predominant, moderately correlating with skills such as problem-solving, and was more prevalent among male students, while females exhibited a greater diversity of learning styles. Skills with high means included active listening and problem-solving. However, low correlations were observed between the pragmatic style and skills such as creativity and innovation, and the use of ICT. Significant correlations between the theoretical and reflective styles with skills such as critical thinking and communication highlight the need for varied educational methodologies to enhance skill development. Conclusions suggest that pedagogical approaches should be flexible to accommodate learning styles, thereby optimizing students' holistic development and preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century.

Keywords:

Learning Styles, 21st Century Skills, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Communication, Teaching Methods.