LEARNING STYLES AND ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK FACULTY STUDENTS AT LANGUAGE CENTER OF SUSKA ISLAMIC STATE UNIVERSITY RIAU

Abstract

Learning styles are believed to affect learning achievement. The researcher’s aim was to find out the most preferred learning style and English achievement of Agriculture and Livestock Faculty students at Language Center of SUSKA Islamic State University Riau. Based on the theory, perceptual is the commonly proposed learning style in language learning consists of visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, group, and individual, are identified to propose an alternative solution to the problem of mismatching between students’ preferred style and English lecturers’ way of teaching. The research was a descriptive quantitative research involving 29 students of class IIA at Agriculture and Livestock Faculty in 2012/2013 Academic year as the subject. Questionnaire and test were used. The data were analyzed through Reid’s calculation of the score of each style and the score of the English achievement of the students. Data analysis was interpreted, and the research finding was gained. The finding of the research showed that there were 23 students or 79.3% (from 29) mostly preferred kinesthetic learning style as the highest percentage among the other five styles (auditoria, tactile, visual, group, and individual sequentially). It also showed that related to their English achievement, 3 high-scored students or 75% (from 4) possessed kinesthetic and auditoria, 15 medium-scored students or 75% (from 20) possessed tactile and kinesthetic and 5 low-scored students or 100% (from 5) possessed kinesthetic and group style. In conclusion, the students did not only prefer to kinesthetic learning style, but they also had one other contiguous style for each group.