Preferred Learning Styles of Accounting Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the Preferred Learning Styles of Accounting Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Imo State, Nigeria. The quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study. Two instruments were used for the study – (a) The Kolb learning styles inventory (1999 version) (LSI) was used to identify the students learning styles (b) The Accounting Achievement Test (AAT) for pretest and posttest. The sample comprised 300 senior secondary school (SSS) students selected from three secondary schools drawn from the state. The schools covered by the study comprised three categories: (1) one boys’ school, (2) one girls’ school and (3) one co-educational. A purposive sampling technique was used to select one school from each category while a simple random sampling technique was used to select the student-sample of 100 students from each school making it a total of 300 students.   The reliability of the instruments (LSI and AAT) were ascertained by the use of Cronbach alpha statistic and Kuder Richardson formula 20 (K – R) 20 respectively.   Two research questions and one hypotheses guided the study.  The research questions were answered with percentages, means and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested with ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The findings shows that the Learning Style Preference of Accounting Students is Converging. Results revealed that when teaching method match the students learning styles they perform better. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends among others that: for better performances in accounting, Accounting teachers should identity the learning styles of their students and use teaching strategies that complements them;  varieties in the teaching and learning process like grouping and teaching of students on the basis of their learning style preferences when possible; the Government and the Ministries of Education should recruit only qualified accounting teachers, adequate relevant instructional materials and facilities should be provided for schools; Curriculum Planners and Experts should plan and organize the curriculum bearing in mind individual differences in learning styles of students, etc.

Keywords: Preference, Learning Styles, Accounting

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-35-02

Publication date: December 31^st 2021