higher than norms reported by Kirton. See Table 4-32 for results specific to student

cognitive style in Class H.

Table 4-32. Class H Student Mean Scores of Cognitive Style Constructs (n=50)
Construct Mean SD Min Max
Total cognitive style 95.30 15.01 67 135
Sufficiency of originality 41.24 8.65 22 60
Efficiency 18.64 3.75 10 27
Rule/Group conformity 35.42 7.04 19 51
Note. Cognitive style measured by the KAI with 32 items. Theoretical range: Total (32-
160), Sufficiency of Originality (13-65), Efficiency (7-35) and Rule/Group Conformity
(12-60). Coded: lower score equals more adaptive, higher score equals more innovative.

 There were 70 students providing usable scores to determine stress in Class H.

Level of perceived stress was determined using the SSI, an instrument consisting of 22

items. Students responded to items with a 5-point Likert scale with one signifying low

stress and five signifying high stress. In Class H, the student with the lowest level of

perceived stress had a total score of 30 while the student with the highest level of

perceived stress scored 78. Class H had a total student perceived stress mean of M=50.73

(SD=11.54) which was 19.36 points lower than the total stress mean reported by Gadzella

and Baloglu (2001). Likewise, constructs of student stress had mean scores lower than

normalized values (Gadzella and Baloglu): frustrations was 5.85 points lower, conflicts

was 2.99 points lower, pressures was 4.29 points lower, changes was 3.61 points lower

and self-imposed was 2.55 points lower. Note that the frustrations stress construct had

one item removed prior to data collection which lowers the measured construct in the

study in comparison to the work conducted by Gadzella and Baloglu. Interestingly in

Class H, all stress construct mean scores were more than one standard deviation lower

than test norms (Gadzella and Baloglu) except for the construct self-imposed stress. See

Table 4-33 for Class H responses concerning student stress.