Abstract

This research work investigated the influence of learning styles on academic performance among Science Education undergraduates of the University of Calabar, Nigeria. The learning model used for this study comprised, visual, auditory, kindergarten, global analytical impulsive, reflective, individual and group models. Expo facto design was used for the study. The target population included all Science Education students in the University of Calabar. Two instruments were used for the study, Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) and 2017/2018 second semester examination raw scores of Introduction to Science Education Result (ISER). The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient was used for LSQ and the reliability coefficient was calculated, ranging from 0.62 to 0.82. Proportionate stratified and random sampling techniques were employed to get the sample. A total of two-hundred Science Education undergraduate students were chosen at random from the population. Findings showed that students have different learning styles preference. Data analysed revealed that there was a significant difference in student’s choice of learning styles. There was a positive correlation between learning styles and academic performance of students. It was therefore recommended that teachers vary in their teaching methods and strategies to pave way for students to use different learning styles.

Key words: Learning styles, students, effective learning, performance, audio-visual.