On the Impacts of Perceptual Learning Style and Gender on Iranian Undergraduate EFL Learners’ Choice of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Abstract

Students' learning styles and vocabulary learning strategies are among the main factors that help determine how students learn second language vocabulary. This work examined the extent to which choice of vocabulary learning strategies is affected by students' perceptual learning style. In this research, the participants were 54 EFL learners atTarbiatMoallemUniversity majoring in English literature, ranging in age from 20 to 22, and they consisted of both males and females. TOEFL test, Schmitt's (1997) vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire including 5 categories (Determination, Social, Memory, Cognitive, Metacognitive), and Joy Reid's (1987) perceptual learning style preference questionnaire were used in present study. After collecting the data, a number of descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted on the data. The findings of the study revealed there was a relationship between learners' perceptual style and vocabulary learning strategies they use so that learners' perceptual styles make statistically significant contribution to the prediction of vocabulary learning strategies. The results showed that specific learning styles correlated with specific vocabulary learning strategies. Descriptive statistical analyses showed that the most frequent learning style was visual style. Kinesthetic and auditory styles ranked the second and third styles. Also it was shown that group style with the average of 16.0741 was the least frequent. Moreover, it was indicated that the most preferred vocabulary learning strategy category of all was related to metacognitive strategies. Determination strategies ranked the second. Cognitive, memory and the social strategies ranked the third to the fifth. Concerning the gender differences in both vocabulary learning strategies, and perceptual learning styles of the participants, an independent samples t-test was conducted, and the results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the vocabulary strategy preferences or learning styles of the two genders. The research emphasized assessing styles and vocabulary learning strategies in the L2 classroom, attuning L2 instruction and vocabulary learning strategy instruction to learners' style preferences, and remembering that no single L2 instructional methodology fits all students.

Teaching Strategies Used by Mathematics Teachers in the Jordan Public Schools and Their Relationship with Some Variables

“…The results of this study ; on the other hand, oppose that which came out of the other studies [3,13,25]; the results of these studies show that the cognitive strategies were the most used followed by the behavioral then the effective ones with low level use.…”

“…Reference [25] aimed at examining the effect of the tow variables, the comprehension learning strategy and gender, in using the strategies used in teaching language at the University in Iran. The sample consisted of 54 male and female students studying the English Literature at Molem Education University in Iran.…”

“…-The results that came out from most studies showed that the strategies most used was the cognitive one ; while the behavioral, the effective, and the social strategies were used much less [3,17,25].…”

An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Iranian EFL High- and Low-Proficient Learners and Their Learning Styles

“…Some significant approaches of identifying learning styles include learning modalities (Barbe, Swassing, & Milone, 1979), several distinct learning style models (Felder, 1996), and multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1999). Researchers have conducted some studies on the relationship between perceptual learning style and gender (Zokaee, Zaferanieh, & Naseri, 2012); some studies have been done regarding the relationship between learning style and self-efficacy beliefs, and academic fields on high school students (Khaksar Boldaji, 2008); some other studies have been carried out on the influence of various learning styles and instructional methods on students' learning and achievement (Collinson, 2000).…”

The effects of using diverse vocabulary learning strategies on word mastery: a review

“…Numerous studies focused on vocabulary learning strategies among undergraduate EFL learners (Zokaee, Zaferanieh and Naseri, 2012). A sample of 54 learners studying at university of Tarbiat Moallem took part in this study.…”