INFLUENCE OF KOLB’S LEARNING STYLES ON BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of Kolb’s learning styles on students’ interest in Basic Science in the West Senatorial District of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated gender differences in interest levels among students with different learning styles, including Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, and Accommodating. Four research questions guided the study and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was guided by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and adopted a survey research design. The population for this study comprise 13,290 senior secondary school students in Nasarawa State West Senatorial Zone. A sample of 400 secondary school students was selected using stratified random sampling techniques. Two instruments namely; The Basic Science Interest Inventory (BSII) and Kolb’s cycle learning inventory (KCLI). The internal consistency of the instruments was assessed using the Cronbach’s Alpha method, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.82 for the BSII, indicating high reliability and the coefficient for Kolb’s cycle learning inventory (KCLI) with the coefficient of 0.86. Data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-tests. Findings from this study revealed that gender differences were more pronounced among Assimilating learners, where male students demonstrated significantly higher interest levels in Basic Science than their female counterparts. However, for Diverging, Converging, and Accommodating learning styles, gender differences in interest were minimal and not statistically significant. The results suggest that students’ engagement and motivation in Basic Science are influenced by the alignment of teaching strategies with their preferred learning styles. The study highlights the need for educators to adopt differentiated instructional strategies that cater to diverse learning preferences. It also recommends the integration of technology-enhanced learning tools, gender-responsive teaching strategies, and professional development programs to improve science education outcomes.