Perceptual Modality Preference Effect of Student Performance

Abstract

Past research indicates that a person's individual learning style is unique. Certain interactions take place in the classroom that occur as a result of student's and teacher's learning styles and these interactions can have an effect on how well a student learns. Some researchers have suggested that matching students' learning styles with complementary teaching styles can have a positive, significant effect on student performance or achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the premise that students and teachers whose styles matched would be reflected on student performance. Student performance in this study was measured by students' grade point averages. The intent was to determine if students with a visual or auditory perceptual preference, taught by a teacher with a similar perceptual modality preference, would have higher grade point averages than students who did not exhibit the same perceptual modality preference as their teachers. The Learning Styles Inventory by Jerry F. Brown and Richard M. Cooper was the diagnostic instrument administered to both the teachers and the students in this study to determine their perceptual modality preferences. Four teachers and 96 students were the population for this study. Students who matched or mismatched their teachers according to perceptual modality preference was determined by giving students and teachers the inventory lists in the appendices. The researcher was also provided with all the grade point averages of the students who participated in the study and the mean of the four grade point averages for the 1985-1986 school year was determined. It was hypothesized that students with a visual or auditory perceptual preference taught by a teacher with a similar preference would have a higher grade point average than students whose preferences do not match their teachers. Results indicated that students with a perceptual modality preference similar to their teachers' preferences did not have higher grade point averages than students who mismatched their teachers. Student performance did not differ between students whose perceptual modality preferences matched or mismatched their teachers as measured by grade point averages. Students apparently adapt to different instructional techniques and materials that require the use of different perceptual modalities despite their stronger preference.