A Study Of Academic Achievement In Relation To Learning Style

Abstract

The present paper highlights the association between academic scores and learning styles among senior secondary school students, while giving specific emphasis to the gender-based disparities. Descriptive research design was used and the data were collected from randomly selected 600 students (300 boys, 300 girls) of different schools of Haryana under study. Marks obtained in the 10th board exam was taken as an indicator of academic performance, whereas learning preferences were assessed by using Learning Style Inventory constructed by Mishra (2012). The focus of the research was to investigate relation between learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic and reflective) with academic achievement as well as whether gender affects these learning preferences and academic performance. The results also indicated significant differences between boys and girls in terms of both academic achievement and learning style preference. Women scored higher in the board exams than did men and were more likely to use serial, organized strategies when answering test questions. Moreover, students with effective learning styles always had higher mean academic scores as compared to those who did not have them, which indicated that the way students learn is decisive in their success academically. These results indicate that both gender and learning style are important factors for educators and policy makers to take into account when designing pedagogic strategies and classroom practices. There are significant implications for teachers, curriculum designers, and school administrators as well as parents in the field. It campaigns for varied teaching, gender-sensitive training and the incorporation of learning style measures in education planning. The general conclusion that recognition of and support for different learning styles can contribute to equity and outcomes in education for all learners.