Preferred Learning Styles among Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Students with learning disabilities (LD) can benefit more in school contexts when they are allowed to learn according to their preferred learning style. The purpose of this study was to identify preferred learning styles in 10th-grade students with LD and to determine whether these styles differ according to gender and Grade Point Average (GPA). A quantitative design through questionnaires and personal interviews were applied, 184 students completed self-report questionnaires for defining their learning style, and were interviewed for LD diagnosis. Results revealed that 45 students of them were at risk of having LD, and that kinesthetic and auditory learning styles were the most preferred styles among them, and these styles were correlated to gender between males and females, and correlated to GPA as students with higher achievement prefer kinesthetic and auditory learning styles respectively. The presence of LD managed to predict the preferred learning style according to gender and GPA, as males with LD preferring the auditory learning style managed to have better GPA compared to other students with LD, while females with LD who preferred kinesthetic learning style managed to have a better GPA compared to other females with LD. Findings were discussed according to the current educational practices adopted by teachers in schools compared to desired practices that should be compatible with preferred learning styles.