Learning styles and self-regulation of learning at university: an Indonesian study

This study explored the learning styles and self-regulation of learning of university students in Indonesia from a cross-cultural perspective. The Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS), which was originally developed for students in the Netherlands, was translated into Indonesian. In a pilot study, 38 students from Atma Jaya University in Jakarta were interviewed about their learning strategies, conceptions and orientations, and their interpretation of inventory items. Based on these responses, items were revised and the instrument, the Inventarisasi Cara Belajar (ICB), was composed. In the main study, the ICB was administered to 888 first-year students from various fields of study. The results indicated acceptable internal consistencies for most ICB scales, with the exception of some learning orientation scales. Four underlying dimensions or learning styles were identified: active meaning-directed, active reproduction-directed, passiveidealistic, and passive undirected learning. The pattern of interrelationships among learning style variables showed similarities and differences with that of a sample of Dutch students. Differences in learning strategy use between the two groups were also found. The results are discussed within a cross-cultural frame of reference, and implications for the improvement of the quality of student learning are explored.