Effects of felder-silverman’s learning styles on students’ achievement in secondary school Physics in Bassa local government area, Plateau state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined the achievement of students in physics when exposed to Felder-Silverman's learning styles, amongst others. Methodology: The separate-sample pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The population was 419 senior secondary two (SSII) students offering physics in 31 schools in Bassa Local Government Area, Nigeria. A sample of 88 students obtained from four intact classes were used. The instruments used were the Index of Learning Style Questionnaire (ILSQ) and Physics Achievement Test (PAT). Construct validity and content validity were respectively performed on the ILSQ and PAT. The test-retest method was used to obtain the reliability coefficient of ILSQ as 0.86. Kuder-Richardson formula 20 was used to obtain the coefficient of PAT as 0.81. ILSQ was administered, before PAT, as pre-test so as to place students into the learning styles. After teaching for four weeks, using the lecture method, PAT was administered as post-test. The mean and ANCOVA were respectively used to answer the research questions and hypotheses. Results: Visual/verbal and sensing/intuitive learners achieved higher than the active/reflective and sequential/global learners, amongst others. Findings: A major finding was that sensing/intuitive and visual/verbal learning styles had significant effect on students' achievement but active/reflective and sequential/global learning styles had insignificant effect. Recommendations/Classroom Implications: Students should be encouraged to put their learning styles into use. When students are exposed to the different dimensions of learning styles, their achievement in Physics may be improved.

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