Learning styles: An exploratory study of foreign learners learning styles preferences at University Malaysia Perlis. A case study.

Abstract

“Learners with a strong preference for a specific learning style may have difficulties in learning if the teaching style does not match with their learning style” Felder & Spurlin (1988) With this in mind, a study was conducted to investigate the learning styles of foreign students from University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) who took the Yemen Preparatory Programme as an effort to maximise the students’ English language learning potentials. This study is a preliminary report that aims to identify and categorize the learning styles of these international students. In other words, identify the learning style preferences of the students.The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire developed by Felder and Soloman (2004) was adopted. The ILS questionnaire was based on Felder and Silverman's (1988) model and reported to be valid, reliable and suitable in identifying learners' learning styles (Felder and Spurlin, 2005). Results obtained would help in understanding the UniMAP Foreign students’ learning styles which would contribute in raising UniMAP’s English Language Instructors awareness of such styles especially in the development of course materials and pedagogy which is important in the learning and teaching process of the English Language to foreign learners.