CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Theoretical Framework

1. Learning Style

Many scholars have defined learning styles. According to Chris

Kyriacou (1996):

―Students‘ learning style as their general approach towards using

particular types of learning activities, it is evidenced in
1) the students‘ attitude towards and preferences for particular
learning activities,
2) the particular choice of activities they use for learning when
they are given some degree of control over the method they
may employ, and
3) the way in which they approach the use of particular types of
learning tasks demanded of them

In line with the statement above, Dunn & Dunn in Begam

(2013) also stated that learning style is the way in which individuals

begin to concentrate on, process, internalize and retain new and

difficult academic information. Moreover, Honey and Mumford in

Dornyei (2005) also believed that learning style is an individual

preferred or habitual ways of processing and transferring knowledge.

On the other hand, Murcia (2001) defined learning style as the

manner in which a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to

the learning environment. In the related literature, learning style is

regarded as a way of learning. Learning styles consist of strategies

such as superficial or deep processing of information, holistic and

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serial processing of knowledge, processing knowledge in details,

retention and systematic recalling (Busato et al., in Ibrahimoglu

(2013). Kefee as cited in Brown (2007) defined learning styles as the

cognitive, affective, and psychological characters of someone that are

relatively stable indicators of how someone perceive, interact with,

and respond the environment of learning. It means that learning style

is like the students' characteristics in learning which are able to

differentiate one learner to another.

Pertaining with all the ideas above, the researcher concluded

that learning style is the preferred way of students‘ receiving and

processing knowledge. It becomes a habitual way in learning of the

students.

2. Sensory Learning Style

As the researcher mentioned in previous chapter that there are

three major categories of learning styles which are widely recognized

and relevant to the field of foreign language learning: sensory learning

styles, cognitive learning styles and affective/temperament learning

styles (Reid, 1987). Sensory learning style is related to the physical

environment in which students learn, and involves using their senses

in order to perceive data while cognitive styles relate to thinking,

problem solving abilities and the ability to organize information. In

contrast, affective learning/temperament learning style takes students‘

emotions, values and feelings into consideration.

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One of the learning styles based on sensory preferences is

VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) learning style. This notion believe

that some of students are learn better through seeing, while others are

better when they are listening or learning by doing.

a. Visual learners

Fleming(2011) claimed that students which more visual

will have some characteristics such as learning best with pictures,

diagrams and charts, usually taking notes with different colors,

listening to teachers who use gestures and picturesque language,

watching television and videos are really help them to learn,

remembering people‘s faces but not their names.

In language learning, visual learners learn best in particular

subject. As Leaver (2005) pointed out that visual learners acquire

new vocabulary through sight; they understand grammar better

when they can read about it in a book. In addition, Murcia (2001)

added that visual students like to read and obtain a great deal from

visual stimulation. For them, lectures, conversations, and oral

instructions without any backup can be very confusing.

Gass (2008) also proposed that visual learners are those

who take information visually. Blackboard use or Power Points

presentations are preferred to straight lectures. They might rewrite

lecture notes use color coding or any other visual organizational

schema.
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b. Auditory learners

Students which are more auditory will learn by hearing or

speaking such as discuss something with other students or teachers,

become interested in the speaker and what is being said, take in

complex instructions and directions easily, they prefer to have

someone ‗spell things out‘ in spoken words rather than in text, and

rely on phone calls for information. The learner's preference for

listening, understanding spoken directions, following logic that is

explained verbally, and addressing background sounds whether

supportive or disruptive. (Fleming, 2011; Wilson, 2011).

Leaver (2005) also supported the ideas above. She said that

auditory learners acquire new information through sound; they hear

grammatical endings, and they associate new words with sounds

they already know. Gass (2008) also added that auditory learners

prefer listening to reading. Lectures are effective means of

absorbing information. They also prefer to talk through material

and even to have text read out loud.

c. Kinesthetic learners

According to Brown (2000), kinesthetic learners will show a

preference for demonstration and physical activity involving bodily

movement. Learners which are more kinesthetic will learn using the

practical opportunities in learning especially in those classes that have

laboratories, practical sessions, clinics, tutorials, fieldwork, industry

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contact, case studies, and problem solving, hear about the examples

before the theory, like to move around and respond physically to

music or drama, they believe ‗practice makes perfect‘, to get a sense

of something they want to see, touch, taste, kick and smell it (Fleming,

2011).

These kinds of learners acquire new information through

movement and they use their entire body in learning. In language

classes, role plays and total physical response activities (such as

carrying out commands) help them learn and remember new

vocabulary and grammar (Murcia, 2001). The characteristics of

kinesthetic are also proposed by Gass (2008). He said that kinesthetic

learners learn better when the whole body is involved or when objects

can be manipulated, such as in lab work.

Everybody has and can use all of those sensory learning styles.

But, most of the people show the preference to one of the styles over

the other. Dunn and Dunn in Reid (1987) found that only 20-30% of

school age children appear to be auditory learners, that 40% are

visual, and that the remaining 20-30% is kinesthetic.

Price, Dunn, and Sanders in Reid (1987) found that very young

children are the most kinesthetic, and there is a gradual development

of visual strengths through the elementary grades, and that only in

fifth or sixth grade can most youngsters learn and retain information

through the auditory sense. Carbo in Reid (1983), he found that good
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readers prefer to learn through their visual and auditory senses, while

poor readers have a stronger preference for kinesthetic learning.

3. Advantages of Understanding Students’ Learning Style

There are many advantages of understanding learning style

(Ldpride, 2008). The advantages of understanding learning styles can

be seen as follows:

a. Academic Advantages

Understanding learning style can give some academic

advantages to the students such as maximizing students‘ learning

potential, being success on all educational levels, understanding

how to best study and score better on examination and test,

overcoming limitations in the classroom, reducing frustration and

stress levels and also expanding students existing learning

strategies.

b. Personal Advantages

For the students, learning style understanding gives

personal advantages such as improving students‘ self-confidence

and self-esteem, gaining insight into their own strengths as well as

weaknesses, developing a motivation for learning, and maximizing

students‘ natural abilities and skills.

4. Implication of Learning Styles for Language Learning

It is advantageous to teach and test students in their own

preferred modalities. Brown (2000) stated that learning style is one of

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the uniqueness owned by individual. There is no good or bad learning

styles, there can be a good or bad match between the way students

learn best and the ways course is taught. Mismatches occur between

the learning styles of students in a language class and instructor‘s

teaching styles, which unfortunately, effects on the quality of students‘

learning and their attitudes toward the class and the subject. In

accordance to this matter, Diaz and Cartnal (1999) said that:

―Knowledge of students learning style preferences can aid faculty in

class preparation, designing class delivery method, choosing
appropriate technologies, and developing sensitivity to differing
students learning preferences within the distance education
department‖
It can be concluded that teachers need to help the students to be

a life-long learner. If the students do not know how to use their innate

potential and make their styles match to their learning, they may not be

able to be taught and trained in a career that they choose.

Understanding students‘ learning style especially in language learning

is an important factor that contributes many advantages to the students

and the teaching process. Teacher can choose and design the material

presentation that match to the students‘ learning style preference and in

turn, it will make faster progress and motivate the students in learning.

5. Teaching Style

As mentioned above that students learn in many ways—by

seeing and hearing, or doing. Teaching style also vary. Some teachers

lecture, others demonstrate or discuss; some focus on rules and others

on examples; some emphasize memory and others understanding. The

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teacher teaching style is claimed as one of the factors that affect

students‘ performance in learning. Pertaining with the ideas above,

Felder (1995) pointed out that how much a given student learns in a

class is governed in part by that student‘s native ability and prior

preparation but also by the compatibility of his or her characteristic

approach to learning and the instructor‘s characteristic approach to

teaching.

Teaching style is often defined as the teacher‘s preferred way

in the process of teaching and learning. According to Brown (2003),

Teaching styles are the behaviors or actions that teachers exhibit in the

learning exchange. In addition, Fischer and Fischer (1979) also pointed

out that teaching style is refer to a classroom mode, a pervasive way of

approaching learners that might be consistent with several methods of

teaching.

Fischer and Fischer (1979) divided teaching styles into six

types:

a) The Task Oriented – these teachers prescribe the materials

to be learned and demand specific performance on the part

of the students.

b) The Cooperative Planner – these teachers plan the means

and ends of instruction with the students‘ cooperation.

c) The Child Centered– the teachers provide a structure for

students to pursue they want to do or interest them.

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d) The Subject Centered –these teachers focused on organized

content to the near exclusion of the learners.

e) The Learning Centered – these teachers have equal concern

for the students and for the curricular objectives, the

material to be learned.

f) The Emotionally Exciting and Its Counterpart – these

teachers show their own intensive emotional involvement

in teaching.

The term of teaching style is often correlated to learning style.

It is claimed that the mismatch between teachers‘ teaching style and

students‘ learning style will give some effect in the process of teaching

and learning. In line with the statements above, Felder (1995) said that

when the learning styles of most students in class and the teaching

style of the teacher are seriously mismatches, the students are likely to

become uncomfortable, bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on

test.

In contrast, the matched learning style and teaching style are

claimed to be able to enhance students‘ achievement. In reference with

the ideas above, Felder (1995) said that matching teaching styles to

learning styles can significantly enhance academic achievement and

students‘ attitudes. As Miller in Brown (2000) also pointed out that

when students learning preferences match their instructor‘s teaching

styles, student motivation and achievement usually improve.

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a. Approach

Approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing

with the nature of language and the nature of language

teaching and learning. In accordance with the idea above,

Brown (2000) defined approach of teaching as a set of

assumptions dealing with the nature of language, learning,

and teaching. Harmer (2001) also pointed out that approach

in language teaching refers to theories about the nature of

language and language learning that serves as the source of

practices and principles in language teaching.

b. Method

Method of language teaching is refer to an overall

plan for the orderly presentation of language materials, no

part of which contradicts, and all of which is based upon

the selected approach. In line with the statement above,

Brown (2000) described method of teaching as an overall

plan for systematic presentation of language based on a

selected approach. Harmer (2001) also defined method as

the practical realization of an approach.

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c. Strategy

The word strategy refers to someone behavior in

learning that differentiates one and another. According to

Brown (2003), strategy is procedures used in learning or

thinking which serve as a way of reaching a goal.

d. Technique

Technique of teaching refers to particular trick,

stratagem, or contrivance used to accomplish an immediate

objective. According to Richards (2010), in teaching,

technique is a specific procedure for carrying out a teaching

activity, such as the ways a teacher corrects students‘ errors

or sets up group activities.

e. Style

The word style is refers to general characteristics of

intellectual functioning that pertain a student as an

individual. Then, learning style is refer to an individual‘s

natural, habitual, and preferred way(s) of absorbing,

processing, and retaining new information and skills (Reid

in Brown, 2000). Fischer and Fischer (1979) also said that

style refers to pervasive quality in the behavior of an

individual.
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6. Learning Achievement

Learning is a process which the objective is to make a change

in attitude, knowledge, habits, abilities and other purposes as a result

of personal‘s experience. In line with the statement above, Kimble and

Garmezyin (Brown, 2000) stated that learning is a relatively permanent

change in a behavioral tendency and is the result of reinforced practice.

A successful learning process can be seen from the students‘

achievement. Achievement is the result of efforts that is done by

students in a certain time. Pertaining with the idea above, Hornby in

Brown (2000) stated that achievement is an action of achieving

something with effort and skill. Moreover, students‘ learning

achievement can be seen from their scores that involve their efforts in

the attainment of knowledge of the subjects they are studying.

English learning achievement can be described as the result of

English learning process that students get from the teacher in form of

scores. The score is getting through tests that teacher made or a kind of

standardized test. In this study, the achievement scores can help the

researcher to describe how far the students‘ ability in English. The

achievement scores also come from the calculation of some test that

teacher has made for their students. The achievement tests measure

present proficiency, mastery, and understanding of general and specific

areas of knowledge (Kerlinger, 1979)

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Based on the explanation above, the researcher concludes that

achievement is outcomes of the students‘ learning in the form of

knowledge, skill, and score in the certain period. The high achievement

is not easy to be reached. It requires a process which involves the

ability to reach it. In reaching the high achievement in learning,

students need some factors such as matched learning styles and high

motivation. So, achievement can be considered as measurable behavior

in standardized series of tests in the form of scores that indicates

whether a student has been successful or unsuccessful in mastering

academic skills.

As the explanation above, the researcher has the understanding

for this variable that students‘ English learning achievement is a result

of students learning progress in English class. The achievement

appears as the score that can be as description of students‘ success in

learning.

7. Factors Influencing Students’ English Achievement

Syah (2006) stated that there are three factors that influence

students learning. The factors are as follows:

a. Internal factors, which consists of physical and spiritual of

the students.

b. External factor, that is environmental conditions around

students.

c. Approach to learning that is the type of students‘ learning

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effort which includes strategies and methods that students

used to conduct learning activities.

Besides, Mlambo (2011) stated that there are numerous factors

affecting academic performance in various centers of learning. He

found that students‘ effort, previous schooling, parents‘ education,

family income, self motivation, age of student, learning preference,

class attendance and entry qualifications as factors that have significant

on the students‘ academic performance in various settings.

Based on the idea above, it is clear that one of the factors that

influence students learning process is the students‘ learning preferences.

The way students use their preferred way in learning is called as

learning style. When students feel comfortable with the way they learn,

it will be easier for them to understand the material that is being

learned. Finally, when students understand the material, it will affect

their achievement too.

8. The Correlation between Learning Style and Learning

Achievement
There have been many efforts made to enhance students‘

learning achievements. It has always been the main concern of the

teachers and parents to make their students and children successful

learners. That is why many teachers are convinced to make their

students succeed academically.

Mostly, student‘s learning style is identified to determine the

strengths for academic achievement. In line with the statements above,

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Oxford (2003) pointed out that language learning styles and strategies

are among the main factors that help determine how–and how well

students learn a second or foreign language. Besides, Dunn in Brown

(2000) believed that the low and average achievers will get higher

achievement when they are taught by using some ways that are

matched with their learning style.

Pertaining with the ideas above, Dornyei (2005) also noted six

types of mismatch between learning styles and other learning-

generating factors that causes learning difficulties in practice;

mismatch between teaching styles and learning styles, the syllabus,

language tasks, learners‘ belief about learning, learning strategies, and

learners‘ abilities.

Castro and Peck in Brahmakasikara (2013) also studied about

learning styles and learning difficulties of foreign language students.

The result of their study is that the preferred learning style of students

will be a help for them in the success of the student in the foreign

language classroom. Abidin et al. (2011) implied that the students in

their study possessed multiple learning styles or a combination of

different learning styles, thus, they are able to learn effectively. They

also indicated that learning styles make an impact of students‘ overall

achievement.
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In line with the statements above, Dunn et al. in Brown (2000)

also argued that students who are taught with matched learning style

did better than those who learning styles were not matched with the

teaching methodologies. Besides, Brown (2000) stated that successful

language learners are those who know how to manipulate style (as well

as strategy) levels in their day-to-day encounters with the language.

In the same case, Cassidy (2004) also stated one concept in

particular which has provided some valuable insights into learning in

both academic and other settings is learning style. There is general

acceptance that the manners in which individuals choose an approach

in learning has an impact on performance and achievement of learning

outcomes.

Based on the experts‘ explanation above, the researcher

concludes that one of the most affected factors which influence

students‘ achievements is learning style.

B. Relevant Research

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of previous researchers regarding

this topic, one of which was conducted by Mumtaz Begam Binti Abdul

Kadir. The design of his research was a correlational research. The title of

his research was "The Relationship between Students‘ Learning Style and

Academic Performance in Mara Professional College, Malaysia". The

research was conducted in 2013 at MARA Professional College. In his

research, he found that there is a relationship between the five dimension

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measured environment, emotional sociological, physiological, and

psychological. Emotional contributed the most which is 28.3%, followed

by psychological (9.4%), sociological (1.9%), physiological (1%) and

environment does not contribute towards educational performance. At the

end of his paper, he recommended that the teachers can address each

learning style at least some of the time in their teaching.

The second research was conducted by Meryem Yilmaz-Soylu and

Buket Akkoynulu. The design of their research was an experimental

research. The title of their research was "The Effect of Learning Styles on

Achievement in Different Learning Environments ". The research was

conducted in 2002 at the Department of Computer Education and

Instructional Technology, Faculty of Education, Hacettepe University. In

their research, they found that learning styles do not have effects on the

achievement of students in different learning environments. At the end of

his paper, he recommended that the time and place of using a certain type

of media is more important than the type of media used for the design of

learning environments.

The difference between the relevant research above and this

research is that this research conducted in order to know whether students‘

learning style based on their sensory preferences have relationship to their

English learning achievement or not.

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C. Operational Concept

According to Syafi‘i (2015) operational concepts are derived from

related theoretical concepts on all of the variables that should be

practically and empirically operated in academic writing-a research paper.

The writer would like to explain briefly about variables in this research. It

is important to clarify the theories used in this research. This research is

correlational research which is focuses on correlation between students‘

learning styles and their English learning achievement. Therefore, in

analyzing the problem in this research, there are two variables:

The indicators of variable X (students‘ learning styles) according to

(Fleming, 2011.) are as follows:

1. Visual learners

a) The students enjoy looking at maps, charts, and pictures

b) The students depend on teachers‘s body language to help

with understanding.

c) The students remember peoples‘ faces but not their names

d) The students learn better through TV or video

e) The students usually take notes with color coding

2. Auditory learners

a) The students discover information through llistening

b) The students have highly developed auditory skills and are

generally good at speaking and presenting;

c) The students think in words rather than pictures;

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d) The students learn best through verbal lectures, discussions,

talking things through and listening to what others have to

say

e) The students have auditory skills demonstrated in listening,

speaking, writing, storytelling, explaining, teaching, using

humour, understanding the syntax and meaning of words,

remembering information, and arguing their point of view.

3. Kinesthetic learners

a) The students learn through moving, doing and touching;

b) The students express themselves through movement;

c) The students remember and process information through

interacting with the space around them;

d) The students find it hard to sit still for long periods and may

become distracted by their need for activity and

exploration;

e) The students have skills demonstrated in physical

coordination, athletic ability, hands on experimentation,

using body language, crafts, acting, miming, using their

hands to create or build, dancing, and expressing emotions

through the body.

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The indicators of variable Y (students‘ learning achievement) are

as follows:

Based on School Based Curriculum (SBC), the indicators of

students‘ English learning achievement:

a) The students achieve their standard minimum score of 75.

b) The students have an abilityon identifying title of the

monologue text listened accurately.

c) The students have an ability on identifying the

communicative purpose of the monologue text listened

accurately.

d) The students have an ability in making inference of the

monologue textlistened accurately.

e) The students have an ability on identifying the meaning of

the descriptive text.

f) The students have an ability on identifying simple present

of the descriptive text.

g) The students answer oral question spontaneusly.

h) The students have an ability on arranging the sentences.

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D. The Assumption and the Hypothesis

1. The Assumption

In this research, after looking at the theories and the

possibilities described in the theoretical framework and operational

concept, the researcher is going to presents an assumption as follow:

a. Learning style is the important factor which influences students‘

English learning achievement.

2. The Hypothesis

a. Ha (alternative hypothesis)

―There is a significant correlation between students‘ learning

styles and their English learning achievement at the seventh grade

students of State Junior High School 5 Tapung‖

b. Ho (null hypothesis)

―There is no significant correlation between students learning

styles and their English learning achievement at the seventh grade

students of State Junior High School 5 Tapung‘.