Students’ personal characteristics and differences in their learning style preferences in public colleges of education in the central-western zone of Ghana

The study investigated the differences in learning style preferences of students of public
Colleges of Education (CoEs) in the Central-Western Zone of Ghana based on their personal
characteristics (sex, level of study and college setting), and how these personal
characteristics influence the students’ choice of learning style preference. The study adopted
the cross-sectional survey design. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to
sample 1,396 students from five public CoEs. Frequencies with percentages, independent
samples t-test, and regression and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. Generally, a
combination of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles were preferred by the
students. Statistically significant differences in the learning style preferences of the students
in terms of their sex and setting of college were observed. However, there were no
statistically significant differences in the students’ learning style preferences based on their
level of study. Again, a statistically significant positive influence of students’ demographic
variables on their learning style preferences was established even though the influence was
very small. It was concluded that most of the students prefer the use of more than one
learning style, and so tutors must comprehend differentiated learning of their students in
order to adopt different teaching and assessment techniques to suit the learning needs of the
students. It was recommended among others that tutors should encourage students to adopt
multiple learning styles and effective study habits to enhance their academic endeavours.
Keywords: Learning Style, Preference, Level of Study, Setting of College, Sex