The relationship between learning style preferences and language achievement of EFL students in BUSEL

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying perceptual and social learning style preferences of EFL students at BUSEL in order to find out whether good and poor language learners had different learning style preferences. There were 100 participants; 70 language learners classified as good and 30 language learners classified as poor as determined by their end-of-term test scores. A Learning Style Preference Questionnaire developed by Reid (1987) was used to identify perceptual and social learning style preferences of participants. The results obtained from the Learning Style Preference Questionnaire indicated that good and poor language learners had different learning style preferences. Good language learners preferred a combination of perceptual learning styles and favored individual learning. However, poor language learners indicated no strong preference for any of the perceptual learning styles and preferred group learning. The difference between learning style preferences of good and poor language learners was tested by a Chisquare test. There were two questions. The first question was whether good and poor language learners had different learning style preferences. The statistical test showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in their preference for perceptual learning styles (p. < .02281), and for group and individual learning (p_ < .05254) The second question was whether there was a relationship between the type of high school (public or private) students have graduated from and the learning style preferences of good and poor language learners. Statistical analysis did not indicate any statistical difference between the groups. The results of this study may help raise awareness of learning styles. This should lead teachers to consider planning activities and materials to accommodate classes consisting of students with various learning styles.