Erinç KARATAŞ1, Halil İbrahim YALIN2
1Ankara University, TURKEY.
2Cyprus International University, Nicosia, TRNC.
DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2021.92.19
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The primary aim of the current study is to identify whether there is a significant difference between students’ academic achievements and the matching of students’ learning styles to the teaching styles of their instructors.
Research Methods: This research was designed as a survey study and employing the quantitative research methodology. The participants consisted of 479 students enrolled in a course titled “Introduction to Computers”. The Grasha-Riechmann Learning Styles and Teaching Style Inventories were used to identify the students’ dominant learning styles and instructors’ dominant teaching styles.
Findings: In direction of the data analyzed with means, frequencies, t-test, and one way ANOVA; there was a statistically significant difference between the students’ achievement scores and teaching styles [F(3-475)= 11.112, p<.01], conversely there was no statistically significant difference with learning styles [F(4-474)= .473, p=.755]. There was no statistically significant difference between matching teaching and learning styles and students’ achievement scores [t(477)=.714, p>.05].
Implications for Research and Practice: The findings of the study showed that the students’ achievement scores did not change significantly according to their learning styles; A significant difference was found between the students’ achievements and the matching between the instructors’ teaching style and the students’ learning style. The scope of future studies could be expanded to a greater number of instructors. Considering that the measuring tool is based on the American education system, learning/teaching style inventories adapted to the national culture could be developed.
Keywords: Learning styles, Teaching Styles, Introduction to Computers Course, Higher Education.