A SURVEY ON STUDENTS' PERCEPTUAL LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES AND TEACHERS' TEACHING STRATEGIES IN RURAL

SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SRI AMAN TOWN

BY ZAYEED IMRAN BIN HAJI ABDUL SAMAD

11401

Final Year Project Submitted in Partial of the Requirements for the Bachelor Degree of Education With Honours (ESL)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

2007

Acknowledgement

First and foremost thank to Almighty Allah S. W. T for giving me the wisdom, strength, courage and patient to complete this project.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to the following for the help that contributed to the successful completion of this research project.

(a) Puan Ho Ai Ping, my research project supervisor for her patience, guidance, unreserved investments of her expertise and invaluable help throughout the semesters.

(b) The Pengetua of SMK Simanggang, SMK Sri Aman and SMK ST. Luke, teachers and students for giving me their full cooperation and participating in this project.

(c) My friends from ESL III, ESL IV and TESL III who have in one way or another contributed to my success in completing this graduation project.

(d) All lecturers from Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development and Centre of Language Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak for their guidance and support throughout the entire course.

I also would like to express my deeply gratitude to my family, my parent, my late mother and

my beloved wife for their sacrifices, understanding of, faith and patience along the winding journey throughout my whole study time and last but not least to my two children whom inspired me most and I am deeply indebted with.

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ABSTRACT

A Survey On Students' Perceptual Learning Style Preferences And Teachers' Teaching Strategies in The Rural Secondary Schools in Sri Aman Town

Zayeed Imran Bin Haji Abdul Samad

This study aims to identify the perceptual learning style preferences of students in Sri Aman

Town and to what extent this corresponds to the teachers' perception of their students' perceptual

learning style preferences. The study also attempts to find out to what extent do teaching

strategies used by teachers vary to cater to students' different perceptual learning style

preferences in learning English language and Bahasa Melayu. 637 students from 3 rural

secondary schools and 21 teachers, which consisted of 10 Bahasa Melayu teachers and 11

English teachers, were selected as the respondents for this study. The data was obtained through

self-reporting questionnaires and semi- structured interview. The findings revealed that

generally, students were major in all six categories pf perceptual learning style preferences.

Apart from that the interview carried out with the teachers revealed that teachers do aware the

diversity of the students' perceptual learning style preferences and to certain extent, the teachers

do varied their teaching and instructional strategies to cater to students' different perceptual

learning style preferences.

iv

ABSTRAK

Kaji Selidik Tentang Preferensi Gaya Pembelajaran Pelajar dan Strategi Pengajaran Guru di Sekolah Menengah di Bandar Sri Aman

Zayeed Imran Bin Haji Abdul Samad

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengesan preferensi gaya pembelajaran, persepsi pelajar-pelajar dan

sejauh mana ia sejajar dengan persepsi guru terhadap preferensi gaya pembelajaran persepsi

pelajar-pelajar mereka. Kajian ini juga meninjau sejauh mana strategi pengajaran yang

digunakan oleh guru dipelbagaikan untuk memenuhi perbezaan preferensi gaya pembelajaran

persepsi pelajar, dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Melayu. Seramai 637 orang

pelajar dari 3 buah sekolah menengah pendalaman yang terletak di Bandar Sri Aman dan seramai

21 orang guru yang terdiri dari 11 orang guru Bahasa Inggeris dan 10 orang guru Bahasa Melayu

telah dipilih sebagai responden-responden dalam kajian ini. Data-data telah diperolehi melalui

borang soal selidik pelaporan kendiri dan temuduga. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pada

keseluruhannya, pelajar adalah major dalam keenam-enam preferensi gaya pembelajaran. Hasil

kajian ini juga mendapati bahawa persepsi guru terhadap preferensi gaya pembelajaran persepsi

pelajar-pelajar mereka adalah sejajar dengan sebahagian besar preferensi gaya pembelajaran

persepsi pelajar-pelajar. Temuduga yang diadakan dengan guru-guru juga menunjukkan bahawa

mereka tahu tentang preferensi gaya pembelajaran pelajar yang berbeza dan dapat

mempelbagaikan strategi pengajaran untuk memenuhi perbezaan preferensi gaya pembelajaran

persepsi pelajar-pelajar.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THESIS STATUS CERTIFICATION FORM

APPROVAL SHEET

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

ABSTRAK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION

1.0 Overview

1.1 Background of the Problem

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Research Objectives

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Definition of Key Terms

CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Overview

2.1 Learning Styles

2.2 Perceptual Learning Style Preferences

2.3 Teaching Style

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2.4 Teaching Strategies 27

2.5 Studies Pertaining Teaching Style and Learning Style of English 30

2.6 Studies Pertaining Teaching Style and Learning Style of Bahasa Melayu 33

2.7 Studies Pertaining Matching Teaching Style With Perceptual Learning Style Preferences 38

2.8 Studies Pertaining Gender Differences in Learning Style 44

CHAPTER THREE - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Subject

3.2 Students Sample

3.3 Teacher Sample

3.4 Research Instrument

3.5 Procedure of Data Collection

3.6 Data Analysis

3.7 Data From the Interviews

CHAPTER FOUR - DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDING

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Description of Findings

4.1.1 Students' Perceptual Learning Style Preferences

4.1.2 Students' Perceptual Learning Style Differences Between Gender

4.2 Teacher Teaching Strategies

4.3 Conclusion

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CHAPTER FIVE - SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

5.1 Summary of the Study

5.2 Implications of the Study

5.2.1 Implications to The Teachers

5.2.2 Implications to The Students

5.5 Recommendations for Future Researchers

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5.6 Conclusion 94

REFERENCES 95

APPENDICES

Appendix 1- Students' Sample 100

Appendix 2- The Language Teachers Sample 101

Appendix 3- Students' Questionnaires 103

Appendix 4- Semi-structured Interview for Teachers 109

Appendix 5- Interview Questions for Teachers 110

Appendix 6- Approval Letters From The Faculty 111

Appendix 7- Approval Letter From The Ministry of Education, Malaysia 114

Appendix 8- Approval Letter from The Ministry of Education, Sarawak 115

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1.1 The Differences Between Learning Style and Learning Preferences 8

2.1 The Respondents Learning Style Preferences 15

2.2 The Respondents Teaching Style Preferences 16

2.3 The Characteristics of Teaching Style 23

3.1 The Enrolment of Form Four Students of Three Urban Secondary Schools in Sri Aman Town 49

3.2 The Enrolment of Form Four Students by Gender 50

3.3 Total of English Teachers and Bahasa Melayu Teachers

3.4 Changes Done on the Perceptual Learning Style Preferences

3.5 The Itemized Breakdown of The Questionnaire of the Learning Styles

3.6 Itemized Breakdown of the Teaching Styles Questions

3.7 Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Scale

4.1 Perceptual Learning Style Preferences in Learning English and Bahasa Melayu

4.2 The Result of Paired Sample Test in Learning English and Bahasa Melayu

4.4 Independent Sample t-Test in Learning English and Bahasa Melayu

4.5 Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Between Gender

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ANOVA = Analysis of variance (unuvariate)

Approx. = Approximately

df. = Degree of Freedom

ESL = English as Second Language

EFL = English as First Language

F= Fisher's F ratio

L2 = Second Language Learner

p= Probability; also the success probability of a binomial variable SPSS = Statistical Package for Social Science

N= Total number in a sample

r= Pearson product- moment correlation

sig. = Significant

t= Computed value oft test

X

the teacher to match the teaching style to the style of each learner but it is not possible

for the teacher to accommodate the most learning styles preferred by the students

(Reid, 1998). In order to bridge the gap between the teacher and learners learning

styles, the teacher should be aware of these differences. It is felt that that the

mismatch between the learning and teaching style will result non conducive and

inattentive classroom experience.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Teaching style is something multidimensional and dynamic and research has

shown that each teacher has different styles in teaching. According to Heimlich and

Norland (1994), thought, feeling, action and approach are the aspects that portrait

teaching style. Thus, these characteristic will influence the teacher in imparting

knowledge to the students and it is important for the teacher to understand this

behaviour and know how to relate them to teaching and learning.

On the other hand, from various studies that have been done, each student has

his or her own unique way in learning. Students learn by visualizing, hearing,

reflecting, acting, logically, intuition and memorizing (Felder, 1995). Hence, because

of this unique characteristic, teacher cannot assume that students would be able to

learn well by depending on what the teacher believes to be the best. When we look at

our Malaysia typical classroom with a range from 35 to 45 students, we are facing a

multiplicity of learning styles. Thus, it is important for the teacher to identifying the

2

students learning preferences. Though it is impossible to fulfill each of the student

needs in term of his or her preferences, but the teachers can fulfill the most learning

styles preferred by the students. It is also felt that, by being able to understand and

identifying the students learning preferences and at the same times that the teacher

can be aware and conscious of the matter and be able to employ variety of approaches

and techniques in order to optimize the learning environment.

1.3 Research Objective

The purpose of this study is to find out the learning-style preferences profile

of students in language learning, which are English, and Bahasa Melayu. It is also

aims to find out the language teachers teaching style profiles. Lastly, it is to find out

whether the teachers' teaching style patterns match the various aspects of perceptual

learning styles of the students in term of method and instructional approaches used by

the teachers and to ascertain to what extent teaching style matches the learning

preferences.

3

1.4 Research Questions

This study is intended to find out:

1. What are the major, minor and negligible student's perceptual language

learning preferences among Form 4 students in learning English and Bahasa

Melayu?

2. What are the similarities and differences in perceptual language learning

preferences among Form 4 students in learning English and Bahasa Melayu?

3. Are there any differences in perceptual language learning preferences between

genders?

4. What are the most preferred and the least preferred teaching strategies among

the English language teachers?

5. What are the most preferred and the least preferred teaching strategies among

the Bahasa Melayu teachers?

6. What is the most preferred teaching strategies among the English language

teachers and Bahasa Melayu teachers?

7. Are English teachers' teaching strategies matching the students' perceptual

learning styles?

Are Bahasa Melayu teachers' teaching strategies matching the students'

perceptual learning styles?

4

1.5 The Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is to provide a picture of how the students

would like to learn a language, specifically English language and Bahasa Melayu. On

the other hand, as the study highlights whether the teachings strategies matches the

learning style preferences, it might be useful for the teachers to enhance their teaching

and their students learning and at the same time to provide answer of "Why can't

learners learn what teachers teach". In order to meet the diversity of students'

learning style preferences, it is also hoped that the teachers will be able to address the

various learning styles of the students hence, it will improve the performance of the

students and will ensure more successful teaching of both English and Bahasa

Melayu.

In addition, this study also hopes to contribute to comprehension of the

students' learning style preferences, teaching style of the language teachers and

teaching methods that would be able to address the diversity of the students' learning

style. The researcher also hopes that the finding will indirectly be able to reveal

whether the teachers are aware of their students' perceptual learning style preferences

in learning both English and Bahasa Melayu.

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1.6 Definition of Terms

1.6.1 Learning Style

Learning style refers to how we describe the approach which an individual

use in acquiring new language or learning. Learning style involves complex manner

in processing, storing and recall what they are attempting to learn. It is a stable

characteristic of an individual, expressed through the interaction of one's behaviour,

strategy and personality as one approaches a learning task (Gardner and Guild 1984;

Brown 1998; Oxford 1989,2003). Learning style is inherent and is a blend of

cognitive, affective, perceptual and behavioural elements and also influence by

physiological traits of individual (Oxford and Ehrman 1988 as cited in Oxford 1989;

Reid 1987,1998).

As suggested by James and Gardner (as cited in Brown 1998), there are

three dimensions of learning styles namely: cognitive, affective and perceptual

(sensory). Perceptual learning styles refer to the preferred sensory channels or

"modality strength" through which individuals receive and process information

efficiently in their environment. Whereas according to Chitravelu, Sithamparam and

Teh (1995), learning styles refer to the ways a student prefers to go about learning.

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1.6.2. Learning Style Preferences

Learning style preferences on the other hand, refer to particular kinds of

learning environments such as sound, light and seating pattern, in the amount of

required emotional support. Learning style preferences also differ in term of students'

learning modality where some students are more visual oriented while others prefer to

obtain information through auditory channels (Arend 2001; Dunn and Dunn 1987).

According to Bada and Okan (2001), learning preferences can be defined as the way

students like to learn a language in a particular learning environment.

Hence, based on the definition given by researchers, we can conclude that

learning style is differing from learning preferences. Learning styles are internally

based characteristics which include an array of cognitive, affective and social aspects

whereas learning style preferences refer to the physiological traits that are relatively

stable indicators of how learners perceive and consciously used for the intake and

comprehension of new information using their sensory. Table 1.1 shows the

differences between learning style and learning preferences.

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Table 1.1

The Differences Between Learning Style and Learning Preferences

Learning Style

1. how we describe the approach which individual use in acquiring new language

or learning in complex manner in

processing, storing and recall what they

are attempting to learn. (James and

Gardner, 1995 as cited in Brown 1998).

2. Learning style is inherent and is a blend

of cognitive, affective, perceptual and

behavioural elements and also influence

by physiological traits of individual

(Keffe, 1979 as cited in Dangwal & Mitra

2000; Dangwal and Mitra, 2000; Brown,

1998).

3. Cognitive (Oxford and Ehrman, 1988 as cited in Oxford, 1989).

Learning Style Preferences

1. refer to particular kinds of learning

environments such as sound, light and

seating pattern, in the amount of required

emotional support (Dunn & Dunn,

1992).

2. Refer to the way how learners would like

to acquire new knowledge (Reid, 1995)

3. Habitual

For the purpose of this study, learning preferences will be defined as what

way do the students like to learn a language and what area of learning style

preferences does an individual student preferred particularly in the area of sensory

modalities such as visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic.

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1.6.3. Perceptual Learning Styles

Perceptual learning styles which are used to describe and identify the

variations among learners in using their senses to understand, organize and retain

experiences. The perceptual learning styles can be categorized in six categories:

visual, kinesthetic, tactile, group and individual learning (Reid, 1998).

Reid (1987) in her study, she classified the perceptual learning styles into

six categories: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, group and individual learning. She

indicates the characteristics of learners of the six perceptual learning styles as

follows:

a) Visual learners

Visual learners learn well from seeing words in books, on the chalkboard, and in

workbooks. The learners remember and understand information and

instructions better if they read them. They do not need as much oral explanation

as auditory learners, and they can often learn alone, with a book. They should

take notes of lectures and oral directions if they want to remember the

information.

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b) Auditory learners

Auditory learners learn from hearing words spoken and from oral explanations.

The learners may remember information by reading aloud or moving their lips

as they read, especially when they are learning new material. They benefit from

hearing audio- tapes, lectures, and class discussions, they benefit from making

tapes to listen to, by teaching other students, and by conversing with their

teachers.

c) Kinesthetic learners

Kinesthetic learners learn best by experience, by being involved physically in

classroom experiences. The learners remember information well when they

actively participate in activities, field trips, and role-playing in the classroom. A

combination of stimuli for example, an audiotape combined with an activity will

help them understand new material.

d) Tactile learners

Tactile learners learn best when they have the opportunity to do `hands-on'

experiences with materials. Activities that involve working on experiments in a

laboratory, handling and building models, and touching and working with

materials provide them with the most successful learning situations. Writing

notes or instructions can help them in remember information, and physical

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involvement in class related activities may help learners understand new

information.

e) Group Learners

The learners learn easily when they study with at least one other student. They

will be more successful completing work well when they work with others.

They value group interaction and class work with other students, and remember

information better when they work with two or three classmates. The

stimulation they receive from group work helps them learn and understand new

information.

f) Individual Learners

Learners who prefer individual learning learn best when they work alone. They

think better and remember information better when they study alone. They

understand new material best when they learn it alone, and they make better

progress in learning when they work alone.

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Overview

This chapter presents the literatures that are related to learning preferences

and teaching style. It also includes some studies and discussion related to the

learning preferences and teaching style, gender differences in learning style and the

related studies on matching the learning preferences and teaching style.

2.1 Learning Styles

The term `learning style' is varied and many researchers have investigated

different aspects of learning styles and can be divided into three major categories

which are cognitive learning styles, learning styles and personality learning styles

(Reid, 1995). In contrast, as mentioned earlier in the previous chapter, James and

Gardner (as cited in Brown, 1998) proposed three dimensions of learning styles

which are perceptual, cognitive, and affective.

Most educators agreed that every individual learns differently from one

another as every individual has his or her own learning styles. Learning styles may

simply mean the ways a student prefers to go about learning (Chitravelu,

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Sithamparam & Teh, 1995) or, the ways each learner begins to concentrate on,

process, and retain new and difficult information (Dunn & Dunn, 1992).

2.2 Perceptual Learning Styles

Brown (1998) stated that the perceptual learning styles consist of four

elements which are visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. On the other hand, Reid

(1998) stated that the perceptual learning style consists of six elements which are

visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, individual and group. For the purpose of this

study, in order to find out the perceptual language learning style among the students

of three rural secondary schools in Sri Aman town, the perceptual learning styles

instrument by Reid (1998) will be used.

According to Elliason (n. d., as cited in Reid 1995), the most obvious problem

in learning style assessment lies in defining what we mean by `learning style'. This is

because the term varied in the literature;

"... often interchangeably with the term cognitive style, effective style or learning strategy. Whereas learning strategies refer to the methods employed by a learner in mastering material (e. g., review, monitoring practice, negotiation of meaning)".

(p. 19).

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Hence, because of the varied terminology in defining the term `learning style'

is used and the irrelativeness of the idea of consistency, therefore according to

Elliason (ibid), "there is confusion over what characteristics are the most important in

determining a person's learning style. Various instruments have been used to study

learning style preferences and examples are those by Reid (1987), Kolb (1985),

Christison (1998), Tyacke (1996), Kinsella (1995) and Oxford (1989). Reid's

research instrument is widely used by the researchers in identifying students' learning

styles preferences. Researchers such as Vicioso (n. d. ), Gedeon and Takacs (1992),

Korothkikh (n. d. ), Peacock (2001) and Park (2002) had utilized Perceptual Learning

Styles (Reid, 1987) instrument in their studies regarding the perceptual learning style

preferences.

Vicioso (n. d., as cited in Reid, 1998), in the research on learning style

preferences by using the perceptual learning style instrument with 193 secondary

school students of Instittuto de BUP in Spain as the sample, found that 70% of the

students were kinesthetic, 29% were auditory, 25% were group, 23% were visual,

20% tactile and 19% were individual. From this study Vicioso (ibid) concluded that

students may have lower tactile preferences because of limited knowledge with tactile

techniques in their educational environment and those students who like group

preferences were because they are open and outgoing people by nature.

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Gedeon and Takacs (1992, as cited in Reid, 1998), administered the

perceptual learning style preferences instrument to 138 training teachers in Budapest,

Hungary. From the study, they found that 29% of the trainee teachers were auditory,

59% were tactile, 38% were individual, 35% were group, 70% were kinesthetic and

49% were visual. The finding revealed that according to Gedeon and Takacs (ibid)

the longer students studied English the more auditory their preferences are. Hence,

they conclude that "our tentative assumption is that the auditory learning style

preferences have to be developed by students especially when learning a second

language or foreign language".

Peacock (2001) on his research with 206 EFL students and 46 EFL teachers of

city University, Hong Kong found that kinesthetic and auditory were major learning

styles preferred by the students whereas tactile, individual, and group were minor

learning styles preferred by the students. Table 2.1 shows the result from the research

done by Peacock (ibid) by mean score on the respondents learning styles preferences;

Table 2.1

The Respondents Learning Style Preferences

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile Group Individual

Mean 12.37 13.87 14.14 13.08 11.71 12.32 Type Minor Major Major Minor Minor Minor

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On the other hand, the finding for the teachers' teaching style preferences

revealed that kinesthetic, group and auditory were the major teaching styles preferred

by the teachers, tactile and individual was the minor teaching styles preferred by the

teachers and tactile and individual were fall in the negative preferred teaching styles.

Table 2.2 below shows the result from the research done by Peacock (ibid) by mean

score on the respondents teaching styles preferences.

Table 2.2

The Respondents Teaching Style Preferences

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile Group Individual

Mean 13.45 13.73 16.69 9.45 14.94 8.34

Type Minor Major Major Negative Major Negative

Peacock's finding indicated that a mismatch between teaching and learning

styles causes learning failure and in order to overcome this scenario he suggested that

the teachers try to identify their own teaching style, identify the students' learning

styles and accommodated those learning style. Apart from that, he suggested that the

teacher should balanced their teaching style so that it will not excessively favour any

particular learning style and present new information and materials in a variety of

modes and at the same time use a variety of activities.

In a similar research done by Park (2002) on perceptual learning styles

preferences of cultural differences in learning styles where the sample were drawn

from 857 secondary schools students from 20 schools in California which consisted

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