Factor Analysis of the 1985 Revision of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory

Abstract

Kolb's earlier (1976) Learning Style Inventory (LSI) has been criticized for its poor reliability and validity. Even after revisions (1985) were made and a new instrument was developed, the test-retest reliability remained low. Although construct validity of the original instrument has been often investigated, little work has been done on the revised version. In this study, the responses of 317 subjects who completed the LSI-1985 were factor analyzed. Both a two- and a four-factor solution were examined to assess the adequacy of Kolb's four category description of learning style outcomes. The results afforded support for only two of the individual ability dimensions and little support for Kolb's two bipolar dimensions. Evidence is offered that bipolar dimensions orthogonal to those proposed by Kolb appear to offer a better description of the Learning Style Inventory. The effects of an ipsative scale on determining the factor structure of the LSI are also discussed.