Chapter 3: Cognitive Style and School Performance in Adolescents: A UK Perspective

This chapter considers the factors affecting performance of students in the United Kingdom at the secondary stage of compulsory education (11 to 16 years of age), and in particular the role of cognitive style. Several variables influence school performance. There is the effect of the home background, which contributes to the intellectual experience of the student, the student’s recognition of acceptable behavior, and the student’s emotional stability. The quality of the school students attend influences the quality of learning and attitudes. The prevailing peer culture affects attitudes to education and behavior. In addition to these external influences, there are the internal characteristics of the student, such as their prior knowledge and information-processing efficiency, gender, and cognitive style. These variables do not act in isolation. Rather, they are likely to interact in affecting performance in terms of attendance, behavior, and attainment. Previous studies of the effect of gender and cognitive style have shown that their effect varies from situation to situation. Furthermore, the influence of cognitive style for various levels of student support is considered, and a model of the interaction of the other factors is proposed.