To What Extent Can the Big Five and Learning Styles Predict Academic Achievement

Abstract

Personality traits and learning styles play defining roles in shaping academic achievement. 202 university students completed the Big Five personality traits questionnaire and the Inventory of Learning Processes Scale and self-reported their grade point averages. Conscientiousness and agreeableness, two of the Big Five personality traits, related positively with all four learning styles, namely synthesis-analysis, methodical study, fact retention and elaborative processing. On the other hand, neuroticism was found to have a negative relationship with all four learning styles. Furthermore, both extraversion and openness appeared to have positive relationships with elaborative processing. The results of the Big Five personality traits explained 17% of the variance in grade point average and learning style added 5% , indicating that both contribute to academic performance. Further, the relationship between openness and GPA was mediated by synthesis-analysis and elaborative processing, both reflective learning styles. These findings suggest that when students process information thoroughly and meticulously and combine such an approach with intellectual curiosity, their academic performance will be enhanced. The impacts of these findings on teaching techniques and curriculum design are also deliberated.

Keywords: Learning styles, reflective, synthesis-analysis, Big Five, conscientiousness, openness, academic achievement,