Relationship Between Learning Styles and Academic Achievement of Low and High Proficiency Students in Foundation English of Srinakharinwirot University

Abstract

This research examined the learning styles of low and high proficiency students studying Foundation English at Srinakharinwirot University, studied the relationship between learning styles and academic achievement of low and high proficiency students, compared the learning styles between both groups, and investigated the relationship between learning styles and demographic variables. A total of 425 male and female students participated in this study. The study employed a mixed method research design which was both quantitative and qualitative. The Perceptual Learning Style Questionnaire by Reid (1995) was used to investigate the learning styles of students in the Foundation courses. The results showed that both low and high proficiency students had four major learning styles which included auditory, group, kinesthetic and visual. For low proficiency students, a significant relationship was found between visual learning style and academic achievement and for high proficiency students, a significant relationship was found between tactile learning style and academic achievement. In general, low and high proficiency had similar learning styles, which included auditory, group, kinesthetic and visual, in order of preference. A significant relationship was found between some demographic variables and students’ learning styles. There was a significant relationship between tactile learning style and gender, as well as kinesthetic learning style and gender for low proficiency students. There was also a significant relationship between visual as well as auditory learning styles and faculty for low proficiency students. For high proficiency students, a significant relationship was found between kinesthetic learning style and faculty. Results from the research may help provide guidelines in develop teaching methodologies, instructional design, and learning support for English Foundation courses in the future.