LEARNING STYLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1           Background to the study

                A learning style refers to an individual’s natural or habitual pattern of acquiring knowledge. Keefeer (2004) defined learning styles as the campsite of characteristics cognitive, affective and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives: interacts with and responds to the learning styles as those educational conditions under which a student is most wisely to learn.

                Learning style points along a scale that kept us to discover the different forms of mental representations. The literature basically indicators that there is a wide acceptance of the concept of learning styles, there is even a study providing learning styles Rosenbeing (2009) which say that teaching professions have long recognized the need for innovative instructional activities that relate to the diverse learning styles of learners, there are some questions as to just how meaningful they are to the learning environment.

                That is most researchers agree that we have various learning styles and preferences. However, the research tends to agree that it is important when designing learning programs to watch the presentation with the nature of the subject such as providing correct learning methods. It is noted generally that learning process varies from person to person due to the process of biological and psychological difference. The researcher has pointed out that learning techniques among students can contribute either positively or negatively to their academic performance. Hence academic performance is defined as the expected achievement at the end of an academic course of work such as examination. The quality of teaching/learning process largely depends on the teaching/learning strategies used by the teacher. Turner (2003) holds that the extent to which the students achieve richly depends on the strategies used by the teacher.

                The implies that a well structured and planned methods or appraises improve that quality of learning. It is believed that a well-planned method will east up expected the educational outcome. Dun (2001) found that dramatic improvement in students achievement in the classroom where good learning strategies have been taken into account and showed that the way things are taught had a greater impact than the content covered in course of study. Therefore, it is believed that when teachers are able to analyze and identify the differences and needs of these students, the educational process is likely to become optimized for both students and teachers.

1.2         Statement of the Problem   

                There have been identified poor scores in secondary schools students Examinations in Physical and Health Education. This indication points to how the level of academic performance and skills acquisition amongst students.

                A number of factors have been reportedly said to be responsible for this low-level performance. One of these assumed factors is learning styles, the researcher sought to identify the types of learning styles that could be used to improve the academic performance of students in Physical and Health Education and to also confirm or otherwise whether learners learning styles have any relationship on student’s performance. The statement of the problem put in a question from therefore is what relationship has learning styles has on academic performance.

1.3           Purpose of the study

              The main purpose of the study was to find out how learning styles affect the academic performance of students in Physical and Health Education in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. The specific objectives of the study were to;

(i)          Examine the influence of visual learning styles on students academic performance in Physical and               Health Education.

(ii)         Find out if there is an influence of auditory learning style on students academic performance in Physical and Health Education.

1.4           Significance of the study

                This study is considered significant for the following reasons;

(a)           The study will help in identifying different learning styles used by students in Physical and Health Education. This is important because it will make the teachers to tailor their teaching materials to achieve a maximum result from the students.   

(b)           The findings of this study will also open the avenue for practicing teachers and students to be aware of different learning styles.

(c)           The study will as well serve as a springboard upon which other related researchers could base, thus adding to existing literature.

(d)           The study will also reveal to the teacher particular teaching methods he or she will adopt in teaching in the classroom.

1.5           Research Questions

                                The following research questions were raised to               guide the study;

                (i)            To what extent does visual learning styles influence students academic performance in Physical and                                               Health Education.

                (ii)           To what extent does audio-visual learning styles influence students academic performance in Physical and Health             Education. 

               

1.6           Research Hypotheses

                                The following research hypotheses were formulated        for the study;

                (i)            There is no significant relationship between visual learning styles and academic performance of students.

                (ii)           There is no significant relationship between audio-visual learning styles and academic performance of students.

1.7           Limitation of the study

                                This study has the following as the limitation such        as;

                (i)            Financial constraint

                (ii)           Limited time schedule for the study

                (iii)         The high cost of transportation

1.8           Delimitation of the study

                                The study focused on examining students learning styles and Physical and Health Education.

1.9           Definition of terms

                                The following were taken as the definitions that              suited the terms used in the study;

                Learning styles: This refers to an individual natural or habitual pattern of learning of acquiring knowledge.

                Learning Strategies: Is defined as sets of factors, behaviors, and attitude that facilitates learning for an individual in a given situation.

                Auditory: Anything relating to the sense of hearing.

                Visual: Anything relating to the sense of sight.

                Attitude: This refers to the combination of concept,        verbal information, and emotion that result in a predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably towards people, ideas, events or objects.