STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

2A – BS PSYCHOLOGY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY – BALANGA CAMPUS

An Experimental Research Study about Student's Comprehension in Visual and Auditory

Learning Materials

ANDAYA, JULIUS E.

DATO, AMELLIAH VEATRIZE R.

MAGTANONG, JANICA DANE B.

PERALTA, MICHAEL COGIE

TAPADO, JET KYLA N.

1
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

Abstract

Students have unique routines when it comes to learning. It varies from unique ways to

get going on students’ academic journey and be productive where you can learn and understand

the lessons better and more efficiently. Selecting a type of learning material whether it is visual

or auditory type can help to improve the learning and understanding of oneself. These learning

materials help students to create a better technique of effective and efficient learning skills.

Through the help of these learning materials, students can engage actively in discussions and

participate more in the academic environment because they are not forced to do so but because

they have managed to understand specific topics and ideas effectively and therefore, they join the

discussions willingly and perform better during examinations. As students ourselves, it is a great

opportunity to identify and determine what kind of learning material is more appropriate to each

and everyone in order to be able to support students’ capacity to learn and comprehend.

Introduction

It is an essential component in students’ academic life to have a thorough comprehension

of the materials they are studying in order to declare that they are effective learners. Associated

with comprehension are the learning styles, choosing what learning material best suits the

students would be a huge game-changer for them to actually gain knowledge and at the same

time enjoy learning. For this experimental research, the researchers will mainly focus on which

of the two learning styles are effective among college students; the visual or the auditory.

Visual and auditory are two of the four learning skills commonly used by students,

especially those who are in online class. The researchers aim to test which learning skills

between the visual and auditory are more effective by means of measuring the comprehension of

two groups who experienced different treatments. Educators and researchers are continuously

seeking innovative ways to improve student performance. In the study of Lynch (2015); Newton

(2015), learning styles-based education, specifically targeting auditory and visual learners, are

common practiced learning style. Many studies have shown that reading to young learners is a

predictor of their future reading success (Cid, 2009; Cullinan & Bagert, 1996; Egan, 2014; Kung,

2012; Leckie, 2013). However, educators need to find strategies to enable them better understand

2
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

the printed material they read. While some face difficulties in connecting sounds and symbols to

create words and paragraphs, others can decode words but are still struggling with

comprehending a whole message. Almost all learners have different learning strengths that

enable them to begin to concentrate, remain focused, and understand and remember important

information and ideas. They become much more efficient, productive, and successful, and it is

more probable that they will produce their best work if they manage to apply their strengths.

Kumar, and Soman (2014), argue that auditory learners are good at listening and they pay

attention to the oral discussion and listening. When defining visual learning, Sanjanaashree,

Kumar, and Soman (2014) showed that visual learners always believe the slogan “Show me, and

I will understand”. According to their research, visual learners could not learn by hearing. That is

why they prefer to observe and watch colorful things.

The underlying premise of learning styles is that teaching to a student’s preferred style

results in optimal learning. For example, it is hypothesized that students classified as visual

learners will recall more when content is presented in a visual format. Likewise, students

classified as auditory learners will recall more when content is presented in an auditory format.

Although it makes intuitive sense that students will learn best when taught in their preferred

learning style, there have been multiple studies calling this methodology into question

(Constantinidou and Baker, 2002; Kratzig and Arbuthnott, 2006; Massa and Mayer, 2006;

Kassaian, 2007; Kolloffel, 2012; Hansen and Cottrell, 2013; Rogowsky et al., 2015; Knoll et al.,

2017).

Statement of the Problem

The focus of this study is on how students' comprehension is affected by the learning

materials they use. The study sought to understand the following key question in order to acquire

all the required knowledge, information, and data.

1. Is there a significant difference between students’ comprehension and the learning materials

that they use?

2. Do these learning styles affect the students’ academic performance?

3
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

Method

Sampling Method

The experimenters used Convenience Sampling Technique to obtain their respondents

because it is the most suitable for their experiment. This sampling technique is useful for certain

purposes where the researchers simply use participants who are available at the moment. The

procedure is casual and easy, where 10 students from Bataan Peninsula State University -

Balanga Campus were approached and asked to participate in the said study.

Participants

There were 10 subjects who voluntarily agreed to participate in the trial. The participants

were all BS Psychology students in Bataan Peninsula State University – Balanga Campus. The

purpose of the experiment was explained to participants before they agreed to take part in the

study. Due to their participation in the experiment, the subjects’ identities were kept anonymous.

Apparatus

The experimenters used several gadgets to serve as a medium to conduct the experiment.

A laptop was used as a visual learning material while a mobile phone connected to a Bluetooth

speaker was used as a listening device in order to determine the students’ comprehension through

the mean of test scores.

Design

This study used Within-Subject Design to assess if there is a significant difference in the

comprehension between the two groups receiving different conditions of the experiment. The

independent variable that will be manipulated is the learning materials in the form of visual aids

and listening devices while the dependent variable that will be measured is the comprehension of

4
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

students through the test scores. The experimenters will provide instructions, and record all the

data that will be gathered from the subjects involved in the experiment.

Procedure

The experimenters conducted the experiment in a face-to-face setting at the chemistry

laboratory of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences of Bataan Peninsula State University

– Balanga Campus. The experimenters provided the subjects with complete information about

the purpose of the study at the opening meeting. Those who accepted to participate proceeded to

the experiment. The first part of the experiment began by conducting the auditory learning

material test. The subjects were asked to listen to a short story through a mobile phone connected

to a speaker without taking down notes. After listening to the story, the experimenters handed out

a piece of paper and pen to each of the subjects and proceeded to answer a short quiz to

determine if they had understood the story that they had listened to. Once the test was done, the

subjects were asked to sign the answer sheets as proof that they agreed to use the data scores

collected from them to contribute to the experiment. After a short moment, the second part of the

experiment took place by conducting the visual learning material test. The second batch of

subjects composed of five people was asked to read the same short story from a laptop. The

experimenters handed out papers and pens to everyone after reading the short story and provided

the same set of questions from the story. After answering, the subjects were asked to sign on

their answer sheets too as proof that they agreed to use the data gathered from them to contribute

to the experiment. The data gathered was collected and kept safely from the subjects by the

experimenters to avoid leakage and compromising the data that can affect the outcome of the

experiment. The experiments also took captures and documentation of the experiments as it took

place.

Review of Related Literature

Learning is a never-ending process, and a process is an event that leads to a specific

outcome. Understanding will not be accomplished if challenges will cause the learning process to

be delayed or stopped. A successful learning plan will resolve these challenges, resulting in

5
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

learning that is personalized to the learner’s needs. The mismatch will grow as a result of the

ineffective use of approaches, techniques, and tactics with the learners. Successful teaching and

student learning can be achieved by recognizing the learner’s style and preferred learning

modalities. Each student has his or her own learning style and preferences. Some people discover

their dominant learning style, while others use various learning styles in different circumstances.

It contradicts Kolb’s learning style theory which claims that people are born with a preference

for a particular learning style. The study relied on Neil Fleming’s VARK model of learning. This

model emphasizes that students have different “preferred learning modes,” or ways of processing

information. The acronym VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing Choice, and

Kinesthetic learning styles. During the first semester of the Academic Year 2020-2021, this study

sought to ascertain the various learning styles (visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic) and

preferred learning modalities of second-year college students. Via the use of “Google Forms,”

the students completed a personalized questionnaire focused on Fleming’s VARK Learning

Styles and preferred learning modalities. The results of the responses were downloaded in

spreadsheet format from Google Forms. A total of 199 students served as respondents in the

survey. The vast majority are “visual and read/write.” The self-learning package (hardcopy of

modules) and the teachers’ PowerPoint presentations are the chosen learning modalities.

Students’ learning styles and preferred learning modalities are closely linked, but there are no

substantial differences when classified by sex and area or major of specialization. It is

recommended that teachers use the Fleming learning styles instrument at the beginning of the

class to gain a solid understanding of what to teach and how to treat their students in terms of

pedagogies in order to keep students involved in the teaching and learning activities.

Furthermore, since the pandemic is still widespread across the world, face-to-face

communication is forbidden. Teachers and students must adapt to the New Normal’s demands,

despite the fact that it comes with financial constraints. School administrators must provide the

necessary equipment so that teachers can deliver quality instruction in an effective and efficient

manner.

Approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners, so it's likely you'll have

several in your group. Visual learners are often called spatial learners and, unsurprisingly, learn

and remember best through visual communication. This means that using a whiteboard,

6
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

projecting maps and images, or showing photos of your ideas work best. Visual learners have a

great spatial sense, which makes them good with map reading and blessed with a strong sense of

direction. They can easily visualize objects, so putting together a living room table from Ikea is

simple for them when presented with a diagram of how the parts fit. According to St. Louis

(2022) article, with visual learners, it is best to communicate by using visual aids and avoiding

handing them a 10,000-word white paper or lengthy instruction manual. Don't speak at the speed

of light and expect them to follow your idea. Instead, use maps, images, pictures, diagrams, and

mind maps using colors and pictures in place of text, where possible. And remember, a visual

learner isn't trying to disobey your orders or blow off your ideas. They may just be having a hard

time getting the message to sink in if they fail to respond to words alone. Contradictorily, Around

30 percent of the population is made up of auditory learners, who learn best through hearing.

While many of their classmates and coworkers struggle to get through a lengthy lecture, an

auditory learners will soak up the information they hear and remember up to 75 percent of it. Be

careful if you find yourself in a relationship with a person who learns through hearing, as they'll

remember every last detail of your conversation in an argument. The best way to stimulate

learning and communication in an auditory learner is through discussion, group chat, and the

lecture hall. Oral presentations and exams help this style of learner, or dictation and reciting

aloud what they have read or heard. Seeing as auditory learners won't be able to learn through

visual means, they must repeat what they see. Remember that table from Ikea? You'd better give

it to them with a full set of instructions, or better yet; read them aloud, as presenting them with a

diagram won't work as well (St. Louis, 2022).

Visual learning has stronger retention power in agreement with the discussion of A

(2022), visual learning helps you to store information for a longer period of time. It is said that

videos and images are directly processed by long-term memory. Visual learning increases

retention by 29-42%. It helps you to process information primarily through visuals and improves

your learning process. For example, when you are learning a topic that is explained with visuals,

images, and graphics for your exam which is supposed to be conducted after a month. You will

be able to remember the whole concept even after a long period of time as it was captured in

your memories through images. Thus, making visual learning more applicable when it comes to

discussions and retention.

7
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

When you interact with various materials through the auditory sense, you improve your

listening skills. With time, you will begin to easily make connections between sentences since,

after all, practice makes perfect. The more you work on your listening skills, the better they will

get. Furthermore, auditory learning techniques will help you improve your comprehension and

brainstorming skills. You should be aware that whether on purpose or not, as you tackle various

listening tasks, you will develop many skills simultaneously, although at different levels of

complexity.Unlike people who prefer other learning styles, once they hear something, they might

forget quickly; auditory learners absorb information quickly and thoroughly. Especially when it

comes to auditory learners, the need to better understand through listening pushes them to speak

to more people and have them explain things by sound (Bay Atlantic University, 2022). Different

people prefer different kinds of learning materials or ways but this literature emphasizes how

auditory learners learn. Being an auditory learner has its positive impact which has been

mentioned in this literature; it was stated that as they learn through their auditory sense, their

listening skills also improve and they get better at communication.

Northern Illinois University (2020) covered in their article the multiple intelligence

theory of Howard Gardner which are; Verbal-linguistic intelligence (well-developed verbal skills

and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words); logical-mathematical intelligence

(ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical and numerical

patterns); spatial-visual intelligence (capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize

accurately and abstractly); bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (ability to control one’s body

movements and to handle objects skillfully); musical intelligence (ability to produce and

appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timbre); interpersonal intelligence (capacity to detect and respond

appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others); intrapersonal (capacity to be

self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes); and naturalist

intelligence (ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature).

Thus, conveying information in multiple ways not only helps students learn the material, but it

also helps educators increase and reinforce our mastery of the content. Gardner’s multiple

intelligences theory can be used for curriculum development, planning instruction, selection of

course activities, and related assessment strategies. Gardner points out that everyone has

8
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

strengths and weaknesses in various areas of intelligence, which is why educators should decide

how best to present course material given the subject matter and individual class of students.

Indeed, instruction designed to help students learn the material in multiple ways can trigger their

confidence to develop areas in which they are not as strong. In the end, students’ learning is

enhanced when instruction includes a range of meaningful and appropriate methods, activities,

and assessments.

While Gardner’s MI has been conflated with “learning styles,” Gardner himself denies

that they are the same. The problem Gardner has expressed with the idea of “learning styles” is

that the concept is ill-defined and “there is no persuasive evidence that the learning style analysis

produces more effective outcomes than a ‘one size fits all approach” (as cited in Strauss, 2013).

As former Assistant Director of Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching Nancy Chick (n.d.)

pointed out, “Despite the popularity of learning styles and inventories such as the VARK, it’s

important to know that there is no evidence to support the idea that matching activities to one’s

learning style improves learning.” One tip Gardner offers educators is to “pluralize your

teaching,” in other words to teach in multiple ways to help students learn, to “convey what it

means to understand something well,” and to demonstrate your understanding. He also

recommends we “drop the term ‘styles.’ It will confuse others and it won’t help either you or

your students” (as cited in Strauss, 2013).

Results

Visual Auditory

Mean 5.40 4.20

Standard Deviation 0.89 1.79

T-value 1.3416

P-value 0.2165

Decision p > .05

9
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

Table 1. The researchers used an independent t-test to compare the effect of learning materials in

students’ comprehension. The calculated scores for the visual learning material (Mean = 5.40;

Median = 06; Mode = 06) with a 0.89 standard deviation, while the scores for the auditory

learning material (Mean = 4.20; Median = 04; Mode = 06) with a standard deviation of 1.79. The

t-value is 1.3416 and the p-value is 0.2165. Thus, the result is considered to be not statistically

significant because the condition where the p-value must be less than the alpha level of 0.05 is

needed to reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, the experimenters failed to reject the null

hypothesis, as there is no sufficient evidence.

Hypothesis

H0: There is no significant difference between Visual and Audio Learning Materials in Students’

Comprehension.

H1: There is a significant difference between Visual and Audio Learning Materials in Students’

Comprehension.

Discussion

Using the independent t-test (two-tailed), the experimenters evaluate the scores by

determining the central tendencies and p-value based on the given data. The results that were

gathered will prove the reliability of the experiment while the following questions were being

answered.

1. Is there a significant difference between students’ comprehension and the learning materials

that they use?

The condition where the p-value must be less than the alpha level of 0.05 is being applied

to this experiment in order to reject the null hypothesis. Since the obtained p-value of 0.2165 of

the experiment is higher than the alpha level, the experimenters have failed to reject the null

hypothesis. Therefore, there is no significant difference between Visual and Audio Learning

materials in Students’ Comprehension. A factor that may contribute to affecting the scores is the

active participation of the participants to engage in the experiment. Since a convenience

sampling technique was used to gather the participants, the experimenters have no control over

10
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

the willingness of the participants to respond during the experiment. However, it is clearly shown

that there is no difference between the scores of both visual and auditory scores, proving that

both can be effective. This claim is strongly supported by the theory of multiple intelligence of

Howard Gardner wherein he claims that people have eight different ways on how they process

information and both of these learning materials fall under the classifications stated by Gardner

along with kinesthetic, musical intelligence, and more.

2. Do these learning styles affect the students’ academic performance?

Students’ have their own unique styles in learning. In this case, The individual average

scores for both visuals and auditory learning materials have exceeded the threshold for the scores

to be considered effective. Thus, the answer is yes, proving that learning materials such as

visuals and auditory representations affect students’ academic performance. It is depicted in the

results of the experiment that visual’s total score; of 27 is 6 points higher compared to auditory;

21. However, the p-value of 0.22 which is greater than the alpha value of 0.05 only shows that

the experimenters have failed to reject the null hypothesis and proves that there is no significant

difference between the visual and auditory learning styles.

Conclusion

According to Gardner (1983), learning styles are the way in which a person handles a lot

of activities. They have been classified as the right brain and left brain, impulsive and reflective,

visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Gardner contends that the idea of learning styles lacks precise

standards for what makes a learning style, from where it comes, and how to identify and evaluate

it.

The experimenters come to the conclusion that there is no significant difference between

visual and audio in terms of students' comprehension after analyzing the data records. However,

the experimenter observed that both; learning materials could be effective as the results for both

conditions' average scores have passed the threshold. It means that even though there is no

significant difference between the two, these learning materials are both effective in such ways

they help the students to improve one's learning. This means that people excel in various fields

11
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

by using their own preferred types of learning materials. These different ways help them to boost

their critical thinking and at the same time, enjoy their type of learning experience. Since people,

particularly students, can be stubborn at times, this is the best way to encourage them to learn.

Through the application of a suitable learning style, educational organizations will improve the

quality of lectures given in a way that favors students' preferred learning styles. They could come

up with various learning styles that support the interest of the student. In this manner, students

will be more interactive and willing to participate in tasks assigned to them, making the

environment of learning more enjoyable. Educators could also provide concentrated-based

learning materials that will mainly focus on students who may have deficiencies in learning. This

will slowly help students to familiarize themselves with the course of learning amplitude and be

able to keep up academically.

12
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

References

A. (2022, July 7). Visual Learning Style: Benefits and Impacts - Embibe. Embibe Exams.

https://www.embibe.com/exams/visual-learning-benefits-and-strategies-for-students-teachers/

Bay Atlantic University. (2022, February 10). Auditory Learner: Characteristics & Benefits. Bay

Atlantic University - Washington, D.C. https://bau.edu/blog/auditory-learner/#

Cabual, R. A. (2021, April 2). Learning styles and preferred learning modalities in the new

normal. Open Access Library Journal. Retrieved July 1, 2022, from

https://scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=108297

Constantinidou, F. & Baker, S. (2002). Stimulus modality and verbal learning in normal aging.

Brain Lang. 82, 296–311. DOI: 10.1016/S0093-934X(02)00018-4

Gardner, H. (2013). Frequently asked questions—Multiple intelligences and related educational

topics. Retrieved March 2013, from

https://howardgardner01.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/faq_march2013.pdf

Newton, P. M. (2015). The learning styles myth is thriving in higher education. Front.

Psychol. 6, 1–5. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.0190

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Howard

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Instructional guide for university faculty and teaching

assistants. Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

Kanar, C. C. (2014). The confident student. Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

13
STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION ON LEARNING MATERIALS

Knoll, A. R., Otani, H., Skeel, R. L., & Van Horn, K. R. (2016). Learning style, judgments of

learning, and learning of verbal and visual information. British Journal of Psychology, 108(3),

544–563. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12214

Newton, P. M. (1AD, January 1). The learning styles myth is thriving in higher education.
Frontiers. Retrieved July 3, 2022, from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01908/full

st. Louis, M. (2021, January 5). How to Spot Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic-Learning

Executives. Inc.Com.

https://www.inc.com/molly-reynolds/how-to-spot-visual-auditory-and-kinesthetic-learni.html

14