The objectives of this study are twofold: (a) to examine the influence of students’ learning styles on their academic performance; and (b) to identifies the preferred learning styles of students between high/low achievers, gender, and different clusters. By using VARK standard questionnaire, 433 undergraduate students from four faculties at the Private University in Selangor are used as observations for this study. The study finds that all students were unimodal learners and Kinesthetic (K) type of learning style is the learner type with the most number of students. High achievers are preferred Kinesthetic (K) learning style while Read/Write (R) learning style is more practiced by students with low achievement. Male students are more preferred Kinesthetic (K) learning style, but female students had a preference for Visual (V) learning style. Social science students are more preferred an Aural (A) as compared to the pure science students which are more preferred Read/Write (R) learning style. Further, this study confirms that Visual (V) and Kinesthetic (K) learning style preferences are positively and significantly influence students’ academic performance. This indicates that different subjects required different kinds of learning styles and instructions to optimally potentiate and benefit the students. This result is consistent with the “Meshing Hypothesis” which states that the learning outcomes could be highly achieved if learning was matched with a predominant learning style of the learner. This study gives a better representation of the current situation in the learning preferences among undergraduate students in Malaysia.

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Selangor is leading the other thirteen states in Malaysia in the economy, making it one of the most preferred places to stay for its economic flourish, employment prospect, great infrastructure, and excellent facilities. Selangor is ranked the highest by contributing 23% of its National Gross National Product to Malaysia. Nevertheless, for social indicators, Selangor ranked fourth in the country. Social development was not at par with the fast-growing economy and the extensive physical developments that take place. Thus, the objective of this paper is to identify the critical dimensions of Selangorians’ well-being. We adapted a questionnaire from a Gallup survey and distributed it about 1500 questionnaires to people in Selangor using random and non-proportionate stratified sampling in twelve (12) municipalities of the state. We employed SPSS 22.0 for descriptive results and Smart PLS 3.0 for the structural equation modeling. The finding revealed that the economic dimension (t-values =5.141), environment dimension (t-values =6.668), health dimension (t-value=5.092), and spiritual dimension (t-values= 4.969) were significant to well-being except for emotion dimension (t-values =0.283). This finding provides insights to practitioners, local authorities, and policymakers of the state government in enhancing Selangorians’ quality of life and well-being. JEL Classification Codes:  I31, I38.

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to determine the role of education in shaping the well-being of the people in Selangor, Malaysia. Specifically, we traced the linkages between education and three well-being attributes: economic, health, and emotion. Methodology: To collect the data, this study distributed a survey questionnaire to 1304 people in 12 municipalities of Selangor, Malaysia. The questionnaire recorded information about the people’s agreement on a variety of statements related to well-being and education. Besides, demographic information was also collected for demographic profile analysis. To analyze the data, we utilized the SmartPLS3 to test the SEM-PLS model. Main Findings: The SEM-PLS results revealed education significantly linked with emotions. The main aspect of education responsible for shaping emotion is access to good education providers in their area. We traced the number of books at home that were positively associated with their emotions. To our surprise, the results showed no significant effect of education on the economic and health among Selangorians. Applications of this study: This study is relevant for the Malaysian society, especially the Selangorians. Specifically, this study contributes to education policymaking on ensuring people’s access to quality education which can enhance their quality of life. More attention should be given to education as this study has documented that education shapes one’s emotion. Having a stable emotion will indirectly lead to better citizens. Novelty/Originality of this study: Though contradicting established research, this finding is reflective of the behavior and trends of the current generation. Today, people do not rely on formal education to strive for success. A healthier lifestyle could also be a product of the health-aware community more than the result of education. However, living with a good economy and health could be meaningless if our emotional state is not good. Therefore, this study concludes that to have a happier community, authorities need to ensure a good education system is available to serve and educate the people and their children.