The Diversity of Learning Styles and Academic Performance of Biology Students

Abstract

Learning style has its insightful impact on the particular dimensions of teaching and learning process. Students have their own preferred way to recognize, retain and retrieve information to perform well in academic performance. The purpose of this study is to determine the students' preference learning styles and the correlation between students' academic performance among biology students in one of public universities in Malaysia. A descriptive research design was employed using survey method to analyse the students' preference learning styles and their academic performance. The Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Questionnaire (PLSPQ) developed by Joy Reid (1984) was adopted in this study and distributed to 130 biology students. Data gathered from PLSPQ identified students' learning styles and preferences based on six domains: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, tactile, group and individual. The findings showed most biology students were strong Visual learner and acquired commendable CGPA ranging from 3.00 to 3.49. However, the present study revealed a weak, negative and very significant correlation between academic performance and kinaesthetic (r= 0.304), visual (r= 0.260) and individual (r= 0.189) due to a weak relationship between both variables. Interestingly, gender difference were found in kinesthetic learning style only. Also, there was a statistically significant difference in Auditory learning style between students who enrolled in minor Chemistry and Mathematics. It is concluded that it was important for the lecturers to cater for the different needs of students' learning styles for science learning to be more interesting and give positive impact to their academic performance. For the future study, a large scale studies are recommended to further investigation on the relationship between learners' learning styles and lecturers' teaching style.

Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Evidences of Tactile Learning Style as a Veritable Tool for Improving Biology Performance among Secondary School Students

“…Tactile learners may struggle with abstract or theoretical concepts without concrete and tangible experiences [6]. They tend to be very hands-on and prefer to learn through active exploration of real-world objects and materials (experimentation) [14] and [36]. Tactile learners may become easily bored or disengaged during passive or lecture-based instruction and may benefit from opportunities to interact with the material in a more physical or tactile way [6].…”

“…Hands-on Laboratory Activities: Studies like [23] have shown that incorporating hands-on laboratory activities into secondary school biology instruction improved students' understanding of biological concepts and increased their motivation to learn. This allow students to manipulate materials [14] and engage in active learning.…”

“…Using models and diagrams that students can physically manipulate to explore biological concepts [14] and [33]. For example, a study by [24] found that the use of 3D models in school biology instruction increased students' understanding of the structure and function of biological systems.…”

Bridging Learning Styles and Student Preferences in Construction Technology Education: VARK Model Analysis

“…Yet, a significant gap persists between the pedagogical strategies employed in construction technology education and the diverse needs of students entering this field. This gap is where the crucial intersection of effective teaching and learning styles assessment comes into play (Ibrahim and Zulkipli, 2022). The need to bridge this gap has never been more pressing, and in this research, the comprehensive exploration is anchored in the pioneering works of Fleming and his VARK model (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic), a widely recognized framework for understanding and assessing diverse learning styles.…”