Cognitive styles among college level students of Jammu region in relation to their gender

Cognitive styles are the ways in which a person comprehend, understand, analyze and interpret the world. It is a term used in cognitive psychology to describe the way individuals think, perceive, organize, solve problems, make decisions and remember information or their preferred approach to using such information to solve problems. It has nothing to do with intelligence but it influences a person's learning a lot. Cognitive styles become important when individual face new, unfamiliar tasks and situations. Research Studies have proved it that those individuals who make career options in congruence with their cognitive styles will have greater possibility of achieving success and vocational satisfaction in comparison to those having different cognitive styles with different career options. Cooper (1996, 1997) found that students who lacked awareness of their learning or cognitive style were the least successful, than those who were aware, individuals who engage in a learning environment compatible with their cognitive style do better, therefore trying to impose a learning style is the pedagogic equivalent of imposing a false self upon someone-an act which is inevitably as destructive and damaging in the long run and will become a cause of stress among individuals. So far the present study is concerned the researcher compared the cognitive style of College level science Students studying in govt degree colleges of Jammu region with respect to gender. The sample of the study was selected by multistage Random sampling method which includes 290 college level science students of Jammu region. For data collection the researcher has used a standardized tool named Cognitive style inventory by Dr. Praveen Kumar Jha. Research finding revealed that there were no significant gender differences in systematic, intuitive, integrated, undifferentiated and split cognitive styles among college level science students with respect to gender. The findings of the study have lot of educational implications for college teachers.