The relationship between field dependence / field independence and the development of writing skills in English. The outcomes of the correlational study

Anna Jantarska

Uniwersytet Jana Kochanowskiego w Kielcach

Abstract

The following article presents the results of the correlational study, conducted in 2014 on a sample of 110 participants (first and third graders of the secondary schools). The researcher has analyzed the nature and strength of the relationship between the cognitive style of field dependence / field independence (an independent variable of the study) and English writing test results (a dependent variable of the study). The choice of proper research instruments has enabled the researcher to evaluate whether and to what extent the relationship between the main variables of the study is modified by age and sex of the subjects. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of correlational diagrams and statistical analyses. The presented findings may confirm the importance of individualized foreign language teaching.

Keywords:

learning / teaching English as a foreign language, individual learner differences, cognitive / learning style, field dependence, field independence, language skills, writing skills, correlational study