| General note |
This study explored the relationship between perceptual learning style preferences and level of performance in science. The study was conducted at the Nueva Vizcaya State University-Laboratory School, Bayombong Campus during the school year 2007-2008. A total sample of 228 secondary students served as the respondents of the study The researcher made use of the descriptive-correlation research method through the adapted and structured questionnaires to gather pertinent data required in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The 0.05 probability level (level of significance) was the critical point of reference.<br/><br/> The result of the study indicated that a remarkable number of the respondents had two major learning style preferences and most of them had multi-perceptual strengths. Moreover, the level of performance of the respondents in science is Satisfactory<br/><br/> On students' profile and perceptual learning style preferences, the respondents belonging to Islam, Espiritista, and Evangelical churches were visuals. Likewise, those whose mothers were professionals, technical and related workers, managerial, and executives learn best through the visual learning style preference.<br/><br/> On students' profile and level of performance in science, the profile used such as age, gender, ethnicity, religion/sect, number of children in the family, birth order, nature of residency, distance from home to school, educational attainment of parents, and occupation of parents did not significantly correlate with the level of performance in science of the respondents.<br/><br/> On perceptual learning style preferences and level of performance in science, the higher the auditory, tactile, visual, and kinesthetic perceptual learning style preferences a student possessed, the higher the level of his performance in science<br/><br/> With the above result of the study, the following recommendations are forwarded<br/><br/> To improve the lesson absorption of the respondents belonging to Islam, Espiritista, and Evangelical churches, and those whose mothers are professionals, technical and related workers, managerial, and executives, the teaching style that is more on vissal should be more extensively used.<br/><br/> To improve the performance of secondary students in Science, a holistic development of their perceptual learning style involving auditory, tactile, visual, and kinesthetic is imperative<br/><br/> It is, then, suggested that the teachers should assess the perceptual learning style of the students in order that the learners' needs be given important consideration in planning and preparing the lessons. Since visual is the perceptual strengths of the respondents in this study, the teacher should use more visual aids in presenting the lessons. Such preparations should be highlighted in the lesson plans. Lecture forums should be coupled with visual presentations, as this would somehow provide the opportunity of learning where hands, minds and hearts differ from each other.<br/><br/> Furthermore, the individual learning style preferences of the students are recommended to be one of the important concerns of the administrators and curriculum developers. This would help them to unify the individual similarities as well as differences of the learners. A student-teacher ratio is one factor to consider in increasing the student-teacher rapport in the classroom. In so doing, a more responsive and stimulating learning environment would be provided for the learners to maximize their talents and potentials, which is a significant point in the realization of the vision and mission of the institution.<br/><br/> Moreover, it is highly recommended that researchers get on further on other researches that aim to determine the effect of perceptual fearning style preferences on performance in school, not only in Science subjects. Since the respondents in this study were heterogeneous in terms of performance and abilities, the same research is recommended to be done to other schools involving larger number of students, preferably belonging to different levels (elementary, high schools and college students) either in the public or private schools. It is also recommended that critical thinking appraisal, and exposure to mass media, be included as independent variables. The teaching styles of the teacher are also recommended to be taken as dependent variables.<br/><br/> To validate the findings of this study, it is recommended that the same study with the same respondents be conducted after one year.<br/> |
