Exploring Engineering Students' Learning Styles vis-a-vis Students' Demographics

Abstract

CONTEXT Learning style plays an active role in engineering pedagogy that frame the strategies in which leaners generally get, retain, and retrieve information. It assists students to increase their cognitive capacity and to deal with the learning difficulties which successively improves their academic performance (Mohamad, Mei Hong, & Tze Kiong, 2014). Every learner has different learning style preference depending on their multicultural and pluralistic background. PURPOSE OR GOAL This study aims to identify the learning styles and socio-demographic profile of Engineering students. Specifically, it aims to describe the socio-demographic profile of the participants and establish its relationship to learning styles. Finally, it tests if there is a significant difference on the participants' learning styles when they are grouped according to learning styles and socio-demographic profile. APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS This study employs the quantitative research design. Descriptive research will be adopted since the study aims to describe participants' learning styles and socio-demographic profile. Two survey instruments (i.e., standardized and researcher-made instrument) will be used to gather the data. ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES Results of the study will provide the following information: participants' socio-demographic profile learning styles. Likewise, it will establish if there is a significant difference on the participants' learning styles when they are grouped according to their socio-demographic profile and learning styles. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY Determining learners' preferred learning styles may support to increase the quality of teaching and learning. Engineering educators may need to reform their teaching styles based on students' learning styles so that better academic performance can be achieved. Misalignment learning and teaching styles causes serious concern and can be detrimental to students' achievement.