STUDENTS’LEARNING STYLES ANDBASIC SCIENCE LEARNING OUTCOMES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BENIN METROPOLIS

Abstract

The study investigated students' of learning styles and Basic Science learning outcomes in secondary schools in Benin Metropolis. Specifically, to determine the relationship and the relative contributions of the learning styles: kinesthetic learning style, visual learning style and reading learning style to the students’ academic performance in Basic Science.  Four hypotheses were formulated and tested to guide the study. The study adopted the survey research design of the correlational approach. The population of the study was made up of forty- seven public secondary schools in Benin Metropolis with a total population of six thousand nine hundred and twenty (6,920) students in Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2). A sample size of four hundred and fifty (450) students selected from fourteen public secondary schools using the proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The research instrument used were Questionnaire and score collection proforma. The Crombach Alpha method was used to establish the reliability, given reliability coefficient of 0.73, 0.76 and 0.70were obtained for kinesthetic, visual and reading learning styles subscale respectively. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Correlation Moment and Linear Regression Analysis and tested at 0.05 Alpha level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that the students’ perception of kinesthetic and visual learning styles significantly influenced Basic Science learning outcome. Also, the findings revealed that the kinesthetic and visual learning style contributed mainly to the Basic Science learning outcome with visual learning style as the highest contributor. Based on this, it was recommended that teachers of Basic Science should accept that students differ in learning styles and use that knowledge to better facilitate learning.