NEW ERA UNIVERSITY

Integrated School
Senior High School
No.9 Central Avenue New Era, Quezon City

Unveiling the Unseen: Knowing One’s Learning Style

for Better Academic Performance

A Partial Fulfillment of itthe Requirements for Degree

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM NEW ERA UNIVERSITY

ADALLA, Sean Lionn B. HO, Joel Jerome R.

BANAYAD, Ayana Lishka I. MANZANO, Daniel Scotts B.

BALMEO, John Raphael D. PALMA, Drew Bennet M.

HERNANDO, Jasmine Kleire D. TUAZON, Jerard Wayne P.

S.Y 2023-2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I..................................................................................................................................................1

Background of the Study......................................................................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem........................................................................................................................ 2

Scope and Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................................3

Significance of the Study.........................................................................................................................4

Definition of Terms..................................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER II................................................................................................................................................ 6

Review Of Related Literature..................................................................................................................6

Theoretical Model..................................................................................................................................10

CHAPTER III.............................................................................................................................................12

Research Design.................................................................................................................................... 12

Respondents...........................................................................................................................................13

Instruments of the Study........................................................................................................................14

Background of the Study

This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, scope and

limitations of the study, significance of the study, and definition of terms. The study aims to

understand the preferred learning styles for each senior high school student, addressing a

common issue that some students may not fully understand. As researchers, we saw a need to

study learning styles because of a rising problem that a lot of students face. In a book written by

author Alan Pritchard discusses research indicating that many students inaccurately judge their

own learning preferences. He states: "Several studies have revealed that there is often a

disconnect between how students believe they learn best and what actually produces better

learning outcomes for them...This 'myth' of learning styles can actually be counterproductive if it

leads students to utilize ineffective learning strategies based on a misunderstanding of their own

learning needs." (p. 63-64) (Pritchard, A. 2014)

Thus this brings us to the purpose of this study. It is to understand the learning styles of

Senior High School students and the factors that Influence it. Effective education thrives on

understanding and catering to individual learning styles.(idreameducation.org, 2024) For

example; reviewing for an exam, some of the students there just go to read all of those

paragraphs, without knowing that they are visual learners or they need some pictures to be

specific. The study focuses on adolescent senior high students and their learning styles, aiming to

improve and pedagogical communication. The benefits of understanding students' learning

styles include increased self-assurance, productivity, and improved working relationships.

enhanced student engagement, and improvement across various educational settings. Especially

here, in the Philippines, there is little research done on learning styles of Filipinos in General.

Thus a lot of confusion on how to efficiently study. This can help Filipino students who are

having difficulties in learning, especially adjusting from the recent pandemic.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers want to dive deep into the preferred learning styles of students. Identifying one’s

preferred learning style is crucial to this study. For it helps to maximize academic success,

alongside other factors. But why? While some students lean towards absorbing information

through visuals like charts and graphs, others retain knowledge better through lectures or

discussions. This variation between students highlights the importance of understanding

individual learning styles. Also, several factors can influence a person’s desired learning style.

By recognizing their preferred style, students can then utilize targeted methods that complement

their learning style. Within the diverse landscape of Senior High School education in the

Philippines, this crucial element of academic success remains largely unexplored. Thus, these are

some questions that we want to answer:

1. What is the learning style do respondent’s prefer?

2. What factors can influence one's preferred learning style?

3. What methods or Disciplines do they use to aid their studies that complement their

own learning style?

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 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The objective of this research aims to explore and understand the preferred learning styles of

students. As for the scope; the study will cover how one’s preference on learning style can affect

their performance in their studies. The researchers are interested in selecting Grade 11 SHS

high-performance students from each strand in New Era University, and are particularly

interested in their learning styles, factors influencing it, and will look at how the students use

different tools and disciplines to complement their preferred learning styles. This study will not

dive deep into the other factors that may affect (Study Habits. Time Management, etc.). The role

of teachers will also not be discussed. Students who are not grade 11 Students studying in New

Era University are not within the scope of this research, thus the study is specific to Grade 11

students in New Era University so results may not apply universally. We would also Focus on

high-performing students. So results might not be applicable to students with different levels.

The study would be done through the utilization of the semi-structured interview. By this

strategy, we will have a chance for an In-depth exploration with flexibility on the narratives of

the respondents which will be helpful for our researchers.

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 Significance of the Study

The result of this study will benefit the following:

Students will be able to comprehend lessons and topics much more effectively as determining

which learning style works best for them will boost their learning process.

Teachers: Teachers can benefit greatly from understanding a student's learning style since it

enables them to modify their teaching strategies to better meet the needs of each unique student.

Teachers can modify their classes to make them more interesting and effective, which will

ultimately improve the learning outcomes for students, by knowing which types of learning aids

a student prefers visual, aural, kinesthetic, or another. A more welcoming and encouraging

learning environment for all students can also be achieved by identifying and addressing various

learning styles.

Parents: Knowing their children’s learning style could help parents from that point on to support

their child’s learning at home by providing resources and activities that align with their preferred

learning style. It also improves the parent-child relationship by fostering a deeper understanding

of the child’s strengths, challenges, and preferences, leading to more effective collaboration and

support in their educational journey.

Future researchers: The conducted studies will pave the way for future researchers to enhance

and broaden investigations into understanding individual learning styles. This information could

be a valuable resource in determining the optimal learning style for students and emphasizing its

significance in education.

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 Definition of Terms

This part of study presents the conceptual definition of the following terms.

Academic Performances is the measurement of student achievement across various academic

subjects. (Ballotpedia encyclopedia, n.d)

Learning Styles is a psychological term that describes how people prefer to digest new

knowledge and the methods they use to learn well. Include increased self-assurance,

productivity, and improved working relationships. (Felder & Brent, 2005)

Senior High School Students Senior High School (SHS) covers the last two years of the K to 12

program and includes Grades 11 and 12. In SHS, students will go through a core curriculum and

subjects under a track of their choice. (Republic Act 10533, 2013)

This part of study presents the operational definition of the following terms.

Questionnaire are composed of open-ended questions needed by researchers then interviewed.

Respondents came from different strands for us to determine which learning style is best for

students in different strands with different majors.

Strategies there are a lot of strategies we can use to determine which learning style is suitable

for students but in our case we chose to use the VARK method since it is a questionnaire that

identifies a person's sensory modality preference in learning. VARK learning styles suggest that

there are four main types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. This

method suggests that the idea that students learn best when teaching methods and school

activities match their learning styles, strengths, and preferences.

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 CHAPTER II

Review Of Related Literature

Learning style is a psychological term that describes how people prefer to digest new

knowledge and the methods they use to learn well. (Felder & Brent, 2005). Education and

knowledge are universal commodities. Knowledge acquisition and application represent a

collective doing within society (UNESCO, 2015). Taking into account the diverse learning styles

and preferences of Senior High school students is a crucial step toward guaranteeing a

high-quality and effective learning experience. (Gilbert, 2018). The association between the

learning styles of students and their academic success has been the subject of several prior

research. Moeinikia and Zahed-Babelan (2010) and Williams, Brown, and Etherington (2013)

attest to the beneficial relationship between academic success and learning styles in academic

environments. An essential component of high-quality educational activities is taking into

account students' preferences for the learning process as well as how they absorb information

and process curriculum. Educators and learners alike must understand the most effective methods

and teaching styles for fostering students' cognitive growth. (Kateřina, Jana, Dagmar, 2020).

Teachers can more effectively adapt their teaching strategies to the demands of their

students by being aware of their preferred learning styles. Why? An example is the field of

Mathematics. According to a study, a lot of teachers continue to favor teaching mathematics

through explanations in the classroom. (Voon and Amran, 2021). Students who use visual and

auditory learning approaches will find great success with this teaching strategy. This is because

conversations and explanations of mathematical topics are conveyed to children who learn best
through auditory means. In contrast, pupils who learn best by sight are more likely to do so by

examining the teacher's symbols, graphs, or mathematical solutions displayed on the whiteboard

(Zulkipli et al., 2019). However, this is highly challenging for kinesthetic learners, who require

hands-on activities or manipulable items to comprehend abstract mathematical ideas that are

challenging to describe. (Nurrahmah et al., 2021). As such, visual and auditory students may be

able to understand mathematical concepts better than kinesthetic students (Umam and Azhar,

2019). Preferences for learning styles are not a singular problem, though. 64.2% of the 1004

medical students in a study chose multimodal learning approaches, while 35.8% selected

unimodal learning styles (Karim et al., 2019).

Using the VARK questionnaire, Khanal et. al (2019) investigated the preferred learning

style of first-year preclinical medical students and compared it with the student's gender, the

faculty, and their academic achievement. The objective of Rezigalla et. al (2019) was to

characterize the learning preferences of undergraduate medical students at the College of

Medicine, Bisha College. The aim of Payaprom et. al., (2020) is to determine the preferred

learning styles of undergraduate students and to determine the relationship between learning

style preferences, gender, and fields of study. Hernandez et. al., describe how medical students

with different learning styles learn anatomy and integrate multiple learning styles (mun

multimodal) to achieve learning objectives, focusing on the approach of kinesthetic learners.

Many factors affect the preferred Learning style of Students. This study was done by

Gilbert C. M. Jr. (2018). looked at the study habits, academic accomplishments, and preferred

learning styles of students enrolled in applied science courses. The study's findings showed that

while tactile, auditory, and individual learning styles were regarded as minor learning

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preferences, students in applied science courses favored visual, group, and kinesthetic learning

styles as major learning styles. Additionally, it was discovered that they demonstrated a moderate

level of time management, focus, taking notes, reading comprehension, test preparation, test

taking, reading speed, writing ability, and test anxiety management. The majority of the students

perform well academically and have a good level of academic achievement.

The test of differences showed that in addition to auditory, kinesthetic, group, and

individual learning styles, academic achievement, the father's occupation, and the type of high

school from which they graduated all significantly differed in their perceptual learning styles.

Similarly, noteworthy variations were observed in their study practices when categorized based

on their high school academic standing, writing abilities, moms' educational background, and test

anxiety. Lastly, there were noteworthy correlations found between students' academic

achievement in applied science courses and their study habits and learning styles. The study's

findings can help educators develop and implement effective educational interventions. (Gilbert,

2018)

Every student needs to recognize that being aware of their personal preferences will

benefit them in their academic endeavors. When kids don't know what their true learning style is,

problems can occur. Jasmi and Sulaiman (2018) found that students' lack of awareness about

their learning styles makes it challenging for them to identify the learning style that best fits them

and implement an efficient learning style in line with the learning process. Students grow

lethargic and lose interest in studying mathematics in class as a result. Students who use a

learning style that is incompatible with the teacher's technique of instruction also have

difficulties (Ismajli and Imami-Morina, 2018).

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 A 2018 study in "Learning and Individual Differences" suggested that students who

misidentified their learning styles might use ineffective study strategies, suggesting a potential

negative consequence of misidentifying one's learning style. Students who incorrectly believe

they learn in a specific way might adopt study strategies unsuited to their actual preferences. This

mismatch between preferred learning style and chosen study methods can lead to several issues

like; Ineffectiveness, Frustration, and wasted time. Therefore, understanding one's true learning

style can be crucial for maximizing learning efficiency and improving . However, the study also

said that it's important to remember that: Learning styles are not fixed categories. Everyone has a

unique blend of preferences, and these can change over time and across different subjects. While

awareness of learning styles is beneficial, it shouldn't become the sole focus. Other factors, such

as individual dedication, study habits, and quality of instruction also play a significant role in

academic success. (Samuel G, et al, 2018)

This review explored the concept of learning styles and their impact on student learning.

Numerous models categorize learning styles, each offering insights into individual preferences

for acquiring information.

While research suggests a link between understanding one's learning style and academic

success, it's crucial to remember that these styles are not fixed categories. Students who are

aware of their preferred styles can adopt more effective learning strategies, and teachers can

adapt their methods to cater to diverse learners. However, the concept of learning styles should

not overshadow other important factors influencing academic achievement, such as individual

dedication and quality instruction. Overall, understanding learning styles can be a valuable tool

in the educational landscape, but it's essential to approach it with a nuanced perspective.

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Theoretical Model

There are many theories and models on what are the different learning styles. Some of them

are the VARK model, the ILS model, the Kolb learning style, the Gregorc Style Delineator, and

the Dunn and Dunn learning style. Instruments are provided for all these models, which can be

used to assess a learner’s learning style. (Maleika H. , Baby A. G., Naushad A. M. K., 2012). In

1987, Neil Fleming developed the (1)VARK model, one of the most well-known models of

learning styles. The model identifies four types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and

kinesthetic. A visual learner prefers visuals and diagrams, an auditory learner prefers sound, a

reading/writing learner prefers written text, and a kinesthetic learner prefers physical activities.

(Shuvankar M., Prof. Dibyendu B., 2023).

Then we have the (2)Soloman-Felder Model or the ILS. It is intended to be used with

college and university students to self-test their learning preferences and illustrates the majority

of the key methods for comprehending learning preferences. "A learning style model is a small

set of learning style dimensions selected to provide instructors with a useful— but not

all-encompassing—collection of guidelines for designing instruction" (Felder, 2020, p. 1). There

are two opposing preferences on each of the four learning style scales in the Soloman-Felder

index. Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, Sequential/Global. Everybody

employs each preference at different times, though typically not with the same degree of

assurance. (University of Waterloo, n.d).

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 Over several years, Kolb created his learning style model, drawing inspiration from the

works of several other researchers, including Piaget, Jung, and Rogers. Based on a four-stage

learning cycle, (3)Kolb's learning theory incorporates four distinct learning styles. Concrete

Experience (CE) is the feeling stage, Reflective Observation (RO) is the seeing stage, Abstract

Conceptualization (AC) is the thinking stage, and Active Experimentation (AE) is the doing

stage. Concrete experiences, according to Kolb, inspire observations and introspection. These

contemplations are submerged and transformed into abstract ideas that have practical

applications and that an individual can actively explore. This initiates a new cycle and makes it

possible to create new experiences. The procedure should ideally be seen as a learning cycle that

covers every aspect of experiencing, learning, reflecting, thinking, and doing. The learning styles

definitions are representations of the combination of two preferred styles. Diverging (CE/RO)

Assimilating (AC/RO) Converging (AC/AE) Accommodating (CE/AE) (Mehraj A. B., 2014)

(4)The Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model is a well-known model. According to this

approach, a person's unique characteristic indicates both their biological and unique

developmental qualities as well as how they acquire new knowledge and abilities. Five learning

style stimuli and some elements for each stimulus were identified by Dunn and Dunn. These

stimuli are environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, and psychological processing

(Mehraj, 2014).

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 CHAPTER III

This chapter deals with the procedures and techniques used by the researcher in

completing the study. Accordingly, the research methods that were used in the study are outlined

in this chapter, which also informs the participants about the study's inclusion requirements, who

the participants are and how they are sampled. The researchers describe the research design that

was chosen for the purpose of this study and the reasons for this choice. The procedures that will

be utilized in this study are presented, as well as an explanation of the instrument that will be

used for data collection. The researcher also talks about the methods that will be followed in

order to analyze the data that is collected.

Research Design

The research design aims to explore the learning styles of senior high school students. The

study will employ a qualitative design through a phenomenological approach to analyze the

subjective experiences and perceptions of senior high school students regarding their preferred

learning styles. According to Leedy (1993), the foundation of qualitative research is the idea that

the most significant facts come from first-hand experience. Qualitative data is also thought to

provide vast amounts of high-quality information from a small number of sources. Its goal is to

comprehend each participant's world through their own lens (Walker, 1985). A

phenomenological research design is a study that attempts to understand people’s perceptions,

perspectives and understanding of a particular phenomenon. (Patchac, 2017). Creswell (1998)

points out that the best criteria to determine the use of phenomenology is when the research

problem requires a profound understanding of human experience common to a group of people.

and gives more importance to personal experience and interpretation.(Cresswell, 1998

Phenomenology as the theoretical framework will enable an in-depth understanding of how

students perceive and engage with different modes of learning like Visual, Auditory, Read/Write,

and Kinaesthetic.(Dovetail, 2023) Surveys will be distributed among a purposive sample of

senior high school students, allowing for the collection of rich, descriptive data about their

learning preferences, strategies, and experiences that we can input in our research study. The

survey questions will be designed to elicit detailed responses about students' cognitive processes,

preferences for instructional methods, and environmental factors influencing their learning

styles. Through this research design, the study aims to provide insights into the diverse learning

styles among senior high school students Grade 11 STEM to be specific , contributing to the

enhancement of teaching methodologies and educational practices tailored to students' individual

needs and preferences. .

Respondents

The respondents of the study are New Era University Grade 11 honorable students. We

chose seven(7) students to be our respondents. The respondents came from different strands for

us to determine which learning style is best for students in different strands with different majors.

The Prerequisites for our respondents are as follows; Must be a grade 11 Senior High School

student studying in New Era University and must be running for honors, (General Weighted

Average(GWA) of at least 94 on the 1st semester, no grade lower than 87, and a 90 on the

deportment).

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 Instruments of the Study

In this study, the researchers will be using the through the utilization of the semi-structured

interview. By this strategy, they will have a chance for an In-depth exploration with flexibility on

the narratives of the respondents which will be helpful for our researchers. A semi-structured

interview has been referred to as a ‘conversation with a purpose’ (Burgess, 1984). The open

ended nature of the question defines the topic under investigation but provides opportunities for

both interviewer and interviewee to discuss some topics in more detail. It often includes prompts

to help the interviewee to answer. (knowfife.fife.gov.uk, 2018).

SOURCE OF DATA

First, the researchers will need the consent of the school, thus they will have to give a letter

informing the school that they will conduct a study. Once approved, they will now select possible

candidates in accordance with the respondents. To get the appropriate data needed, the researcher

will have questionnaires with three(3) parts. But before the interview, a consent form will be

given to each of them before the interview and will serve as a document proving that they have

given their permission for them to be interviewed by the researchers.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

Part I of the questionnaire will ask for the profile of the respondents. The tool for profile was

made by the researcher; it will determine the Name, age, gender, Strand, section, and

confirmation of the prerequisites. Part II is the tool to determine the preferred learning style of

14
said respondents. This will be the VARK Questionnaire version 8.02 by VARK Learn Limited

and The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire used by NC State University. Part III is the

tool that will be the Open-ended questions or the SOP’s that the respondents must answer. The

researchers need to have a skill to match the interview questions to an appropriate technique

(Neuman, 2000).

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