Learning Styles as Predictor of Academic Performance in the Nursing Department of an Asian University and Colleges

Abstract

There have been many attempts to study the different elements that are keys to academic performance students learn as measured by their learning styles and how this will translate to academic success have been considered as an insignificant component in the academic success of students. This quantitative descriptive-correlational study aimed to determine correlation between learning styles and academics. The participants consisted of 304 nursing students who were randomly selected from eight nursing schools in Marawi City. The Perceptual Learning Style Questionnaire was utilized to carry out the rationale of the study. The results demonstrated that the students were generally doing fairly well in the nursing program and generally exhibited a close balance between all the learning styles. The four learning styles (Visual, Auditory, Tactile and Kinesthetic) were found to have been used by the students simultaneously as major learning styles with most of them expressing preference for Kinesthetic learning style (78%) while expressing minor and negligible preference for Group learning style. The study revealed important relation between learning styles and performance. The findings in this study highlight the importance of recognizing students’ varying learning styles. Teachers should be aware that efficacy with more learning styles will allow students to achieve the optimal learning environment.