Self‐Regulation Profiles and Learning Preferences: A Study of Spanish University Students

In this paper, we describe a fully automatic learner modeling approach in learning management systems, taking into account learners' educational preferences including learning styles. We propose a learner model with three components: the learner's profile, learner's knowledge, and learner's educational preferences. The learner's profile represents the learner's general information such as identification data, the learner's knowledge implies the learner's interests on visited learning objects, and the learner's educational preferences are composed of the learner's preferences among visited learning objects and his/her learning style. In the proposed approach, all learner model components are automatically detected, without requiring explicit feedback. Indeed, all the basic learners' information is inferred from the learners' online activities and usage data, based on web usage mining techniques and a literature-based approach for the automatic detection of learning styles in learning management systems. Once learner models are built, we apply a hierarchical multi-level model based collaborative filtering approach, in order to gather learners with similar preferences and interests in the same groups.

Examining university students’ values and perceptions of Social Corporative Responsibility (CSR) are one area that could lead to a better understanding of European university students’ behaviour to social initiatives offered by the firms, and the socialization that their academic institutions collaborate to generate in their students. The purpose of this study is to respond the following research questions: (a) what is the university students’ value structure?; (b) what are the perceptions of students about the CSR performance?; (c) how do personal values affect the perceptions of students’ CSR?; And (d) what is the relationship between CSR perception and the background variables? A sample of 1,060 university students from Social Sciences and statistical methods as multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and categorical principal component analysis have been used. Through the findings, this paper expects to highlight that the education in values and social responsibility is relevance not only for Society but also for Companies and even more High-Education Institutions.

The study was based on 2-year follow-up of the effects of binge drinking and cannabis co-consumption on academic performance and adjustment in Spanish Third-Year University Students and to further explore the impact of academic adjustment on this relationship. A total of 144 students (aged 19-20 years) enrolled in the third year of university completed the study. The students were recruited during in first academic year (T1) via a survey that included items regarding the use of alcohol (AUDIT-C), cannabis and other drugs and demographic variables. Then, participants meeting the study criteria were then selected and invited by e-mail to a clinical (face-to face) structured interview. The participants completed a calendar of alcohol consumption during the 6 months prior to the interview (Alcohol Timeline Follow back), and recorded cannabis consumption in 3 months prior to the interview. To examine the effects of alcohol and cannabis co-consumption on the outcome variables, we categorized participants into three consumption groups (i.e., control, BD, and BDCA) based on the number of BD days and cannabis unit scores. Binge drinking and cannabis co-consumption in first-year students was significantly associated with poor academic performance and adjustment after 2 years of undergraduate study. Relative to controls, co-consumers (BDCA) reported significantly lower academic and personal-emotional adjustment to university as well as poorer performance. Mediation analysis showed that academic adjustment explains the mechanism by which BDCAs perform less well, mediating the relationship between co-consumption and academic performance, with an indirect effect representing 64.61% of the total effect. Furthermore, the mediating effect of academic adjustment was maintained after controlling for academic adjustment and baseline grade point average (T1). This prospective follow-up study helps to further our knowledge of how combined binge drinking and cannabis consumption may affect university adjustment and academic success in Spanish university students Overall, the study results should encourage health professionals, educational psychologists and academic institutions to take ownership of the need for support and involvement in prevention, as well as for provision of guidelines for implementing appropriate intervention strategies.

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 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 to 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.

The Kolb learning theory attributes differences in the way people learn with the way they perceive and process an experience, leading to uniquely different learning styles. Studied in other surgical disciplines, it has yet to be examined in a urology population. Identifying the learning style of urology residents may help in the development of teaching curricula that are best suited to knowledge and skill acquisition. The objective of this study was to characterize the learning styles of graduating Canadian urology residents attending the Queen's Urology Exam Skill Training (QUEST) examination. The Kolb Experiential Learning Profile (KELP) 4.0 questionnaire was administered to all graduating Canadian urological residents attending QUEST for the years 2021-24. Project participation was 100%. All participants received a report at the conclusion of the course. Participants' preferred learning phase (acting, thinking, reflecting, experiencing) and a specific learning style (deciding, analyzing, thinking, acting, initiating, balancing, reflecting, experiencing, imagining) were identified for all residents. Preferred learning phase and learning style were compared among years using the Chi-squared test (α=0.05). Preferred learning phase and learning style were compared amongst self-identified gender using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test (α=0.05). Graduates from 2021 (n=35), 2022 (n=29), 2023 (n=37), and 2024 (n=35) were included. In aggregate, the preferred learning phases among urology residents included thinking (38%, n=51), followed closely by acting (32%, n=44). A minority of urology residents preferred the reflecting (21%, n=28) and experiencing phase (10%, n=13). There were no significant differences year to year within an individual learning phase (p>0.05). In aggregate, the most common preferred learning styles included the deciding learning style (21%, n=29), followed by analyzing (15%, n=20), thinking (14%, n=19), acting (13%, n=18), and initiating (13%, n=18). Lesser common learning styles included balancing (11%, n=15), reflecting (7%, n=10), imagining (3%, n=4), and experiencing (2%, n=3). There were no significant differences year to year within an individual learning style (p>0.05). There were no significant differences between self-identified gender and preferred learning phase or style (p>0.05). Graduating Canadian urology residents vary in their preferred learning styles, but the majority seem to learn by acting and thinking. A non-trivial number of learners displayed learning styles under-represented in surgical specialties. This lays the groundwork for future studies correlating learning style to exam performance and identifying predictors of successful completion of residency.

The objective was to assess the association of the overall score and different items of the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire with academic achievement in Spanish university students. We hypothesized that university students with greater adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) would have better academic achievement. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 266 first-year students from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, during the 2017–2018 academic year. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated with the 14-item MEDAS questionnaire. As an indicator variable for academic achievement, the average marks of the examinations required for access to Spanish universities were used. A total of 63 participants (23.6%) adhered to MedDiet recommendations. Analysis of covariance models showed that participants with higher adherence to the MedDiet had significantly higher scores on academic achievement than their peers with low adherence (P < .001) after controlling for potential confounders. Additionally, the evaluation of each item of the MEDAS questionnaire showed that a diet rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish and shellfish, and a low consumption of sweets and carbonated beverages were positively associated with academic achievement; nevertheless, wine intake was inversely associated. This study showed that Spanish university students had a low prevalence of good adherence to the MedDiet. Additionally, our results suggested that higher adherence to the MedDiet is associated with better academic achievement in Spanish university students. From a public health perspective and because of low adherence, it is important to continue to focus on promoting adherence to the MedDiet as part of a healthy lifestyle pattern to improve the academic performance of young university students.

Students learn in different ways, and their unique learning styles and sensory experiences can shape how they engage with their education. This study explores the connection between two important factors: learning style preferences and sensory processing patterns. We also looked at how these traits vary by gender, academic year, and field of study. We surveyed 462 university students from medical, scientific, and humanities faculties, including both junior and senior students. Each participant completed two standardized tools: the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). We then analyzed the data to explore patterns and relationships using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The majority of students (58.9%) preferred a visual learning style, and most showed balanced sensory processing across the measured domains. Significant gender differences were found in the sequential–global dimension, with female students more likely to be sequential learners (22.7% vs. 12.2% in males; p = .0009). Senior students showed a stronger preference for visual learning than juniors (63.4% vs. 52.2%; p = .03). Additionally, visual learning was more common among students in medical (63.1%) and scientific (62.1%) disciplines compared to those in humanities (50.3%) (p = .005). Although there was no strong overall link between sensory processing and learning styles, a subtle trend emerged: students with atypical sensory profiles (particularly those high in sensory avoidance) showed a slight preference for active over reflective learning (p = .04). These findings suggest that while learning styles and sensory processing function independently, both contribute to how students engage with educational content. Recognizing these differences can help educators design more responsive and inclusive teaching strategies. By incorporating diverse instructional methods, instructors can better support students’ cognitive preferences and sensory needs, ultimately enhancing learning outcomes for a broader range of learners.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of risky alcohol consumption and regular binge drinking, and their associated factors, in Spanish college students.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted.SettingThis...

Individuals learn in different ways, using several learning styles, but lecturers may not always present information and learning experiences that match students’ learning preferences. Mismatches between learning and teaching styles can lead to disappointment with the course of study, personal discouragement and underperformance. The learning styles of 735 undergraduate Accounting students and the teaching styles of 46 lecturers from one United Kingdom and one South African university were empirically surveyed, using the Felder‐Solomon Index of Learning Styles questionnaire to consider the students’ learning styles, and an adaptation of the questionnaire to analyse the lecturers’ teaching styles. The study compared learning and teaching styles between two universities in two different countries and then examined possible matches/mismatches between learning and teaching styles. Little mismatch was found (p‐values smaller than 0.3). Other results are discussed and recommendations are made in relation to understanding and meeting students’ learning needs and the needs of professional bodies.

This study explores the intersection of students' learning styles and their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competence within a flexible learning environment, focusing on the academic experiences at Cagayan State University-Carig Campus. Conducted during the 2020-2021 academic year, the research surveyed 686 first- and second-year students to gain a nuanced understanding of how learning styles and ICT skills interact in flexible learning settings. The study employed the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Styles Scale (GRSLSS) and a specially designed ICT Competence Scale to achieve its objectives. These included describing students' learning styles and ICT competence, deriving a tailored factor structure for the GRSLSS within flexible learning contexts, and classifying students into distinct profiles based on these variables. Using exploratory factor analysis, the GRSLSS was adapted to better reflect the flexible learning environment. Subsequently, K-means cluster analysis identified three distinct learner profiles. The first, "Purposeless Learners," represents students with very low ICT skills and engagement, struggling to navigate flexible learning. The second profile, "Versatile Learners," includes students with moderate to high ICT competence who excel in both collaborative and independent learning contexts. The third, "ICT Savvy Engagers," comprises students with high ICT proficiency who prefer collaborative, non-competitive approaches to learning.This typology provides valuable insights into how students adapt to flexible learning modalities, emphasizing the critical role of ICT in shaping modern education. The study underscores the importance of developing tailored pedagogical strategies that accommodate diverse learner profiles. It recommends expanding the sample size, conducting confirmatory factor analyses, and refining assessment tools to further validate and contextualize the findings, ultimately contributing to more effective flexible learning frameworks.

Mental disorders in Spanish university students: Prevalence, age-of-onset, severe role impairment and mental health treatment.

Universities strive to ensure quality education focused on the diversity of the student body. According to experiential learning theory, students display different learning preferences. This study has a three-fold objective: to compare learning styles based on personal and educational variables, to analyze the association between learning styles, the level of academic performance, and consistency of performance in four assessment methods, and to examine the influence of learning dimensions in students with medium-high performance in the assessment methods. An interdisciplinary approach was designed involving 289 psychology, early childhood education and primary education students at two universities in Spain. The Learning Style Inventory was used to assess learning styles and dimensions. The assessment methods used in the developmental psychology course included the following question formats: multiple-choice, short answer, creation-elaboration and an elaboration question on the relationship between theory and practice. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and binomial logistic models were computed. The results reveal Psychology students to be more assimilative (theoretical and abstract), while early childhood and primary education students were evenly distributed among styles and were more divergent and convergent (practical) in absolute terms. In addition, high scores in perception (abstract conceptualization) were associated with a high level of performance on the multiple-choice tests and the elaboration question on the relationship between theory and practice. Abstract conceptualization was also associated with medium-high performance in all assessment methods and this variable predicted consistent high performance, independent of the assessment method. This study highlights the importance of promoting abstract conceptualization. Recommendations for enhancing this learning dimension are presented.

This paper presents the results of an empirical study of the learning styles of a group of computing students and the teaching styles of their tutors at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. This study of learning styles is based on Kolb’s learning model and the Felder-Soloman learning style instrument. To identify how close students’ learning styles match the teaching styles of their tutors we have used two indicators: the self-perception of the students about the proximity of their learning styles and the teaching styles of their tutors and a Euclidean distance measure between students’ and tutors’ learning preferences. Using survey data and the learning styles instrument results we identify the differences between the learning and teaching styles. Both indicators show consistent and significant differences between the learning and teaching styles, in the way students and their tutors perceive and understand information. Finally we make recommendation to tutors on how to bridge this gap and address the learning styles of their students.

The diversity of learning styles among university students presents a significant challenge for designing inclusive pedagogical strategies. This study explores the relationship between sensory learning styles, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, based on the Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) model, and academic performance, considering gender as a relevant factor. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational design was used with a probabilistic sample of 250 undergraduate students in Mexico. Data were obtained through a validated learning styles questionnaire and students’ academic grade point averages. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and cluster analysis, revealed a positive correlation between the visual learning style and academic performance (r = 0.192, p &lt; 0.01), and a weaker but significant association with the kinesthetic style. Female students showed a stronger preference for kinesthetic learning (p &lt; 0.05). Three learning profiles emerged, with the visual-kinesthetic type being most common. Based on these results, it is recommended to implement multimodal teaching strategies that integrate visual and kinesthetic elements, such as diagrams, simulations, and hands-on activities, to enhance academic outcomes. Teacher training should address sensory preferences, and institutional policies should promote adaptive digital platforms that support multiple formats.

This study sought to determine the level of anxiety towards English language learning of the students of Isabela State University, Ilagan Campus. The researchers used the descriptive design since the aim was to describe the level of the students’ anxiety towards English language learning. The standardized questionnaire for anxiety developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was used&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; in this study. The findings revealed that the respondents’ level on the different areas of anxiety in learning the English language namely: communication anxiety, oral test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, anxiety of English classes is moderate. Further, the results showed that sex is a variable that does not affect the students’ level of anxiety in learning the English language in terms of their anxiety in communication and in their English classes. However, in terms of their fear of negative evaluation and oral test anxiety; their sex has significant effect and it is prevalent to those who are female students. The level of anxiety of the students in English Language does not significantly influence the academic performance of the students. References Ali, T. T., &amp; Fei, W. F. (2016). Foreign language classroom anxiety among Iraqi students and its relation with gender and achievement.&nbsp;International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature,&nbsp;6(1), 305-310. Amiri, M., &amp; Ghonsooly, B. (2015). The relationship between English learning anxiety and the students' achievement on examinations.&nbsp;Journal of Language Teaching and Research,&nbsp;6(4), 855. Andualem Desta, M. (2019). An investigation into English foreign language learning anxiety and English language performance test result: Ethiopian University students in focus.&nbsp;International Journal of Research in English Education,&nbsp;4(4), 83-100. Akpur, U. (2017). Predictive and explanatory relationship model between procrastination, motivation, anxiety and academic achievement.&nbsp;Eurasian Journal of Educational Research,&nbsp;17(69), 221-21. Budin, M. (2014). Investigating the relationship between English language anxiety and the achievement of school based oral English test among Malaysian Form Four students. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2(1). Clement, A., &amp; Murugavel, T. (2018). English for the workplace: The importance of English language skills for effective performance. The English Classroom, 20(1), 1-15. Debreli, E., &amp; Demirkan, S. (2015). Sources and levels of foreign language speaking anxiety of English as a foreign language university students with regard to language proficiency and gender. International Journal of English Language Education, 4(1), 49-62. Gerencheal, B. (2016). Gender Differences in Foreign Language Anxiety at an Ethiopian University: Mizan-Tepi University Third Year English Major Students in Focus.&nbsp;Online Submission,&nbsp;1(1), 1-16. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., &amp; Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern language journal, 70(2), 125-132. Jugo, R. R. (2020). Language anxiety in focus: The case of Filipino undergraduate teacher education learners.&nbsp;Education Research International,&nbsp;2020. Khan, S. (2015). Influence of speech anxiety on oral communication skills among ESL/EFL learners. Department of Applied &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Advances in Language and Literary Studies. ISSN: 2203-4714, Vol. 6 No. 6; Australian International Academic Centre, Australia. Retrieved July 22, 2021. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1127504.pdf Knell, E., &amp; Chi, Y. (2012). The roles of motivation, affective attitudes, and willingness to communicate among Chinese students in early English immersion programs.&nbsp;International Education,&nbsp;41(2), 5. Krashen, S. (1998). Comprehensible output?.&nbsp;System,&nbsp;26(2), 175-182. Liu, D. (2015). A critical review of Krashen’s input hypothesis: Three major arguments.&nbsp;Journal of Education and Human Development,&nbsp;4(4), 139-146. MacIntyre, D.,&nbsp; &amp;&nbsp; R.C.&nbsp; Gardner.&nbsp; (1991a).&nbsp; Language&nbsp; anxiety:&nbsp; Its&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; relationship&nbsp; to&nbsp; other&nbsp; anxieties&nbsp; and&nbsp; to&nbsp; processing&nbsp; in&nbsp; native&nbsp; and&nbsp; second&nbsp; languages.&nbsp; Language Learning 41: 85-117. Marcos-Llins, M., &amp; Garau, J., M. (2009). Effects of Language Anxiety on Three Proficiency-Lvel Courses of Spanish as a Foreign Language. Foreign Language Annals, 42(1), 94-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2009.01010.x Özer, S. (2020). The predictiveness of students’ attitude and motivation on their achievement in ESP classes: The mediating role of anxiety. Raju, N., &amp; Joshith, V. P. (2018). Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition: A practical approach for English language classrooms.&nbsp;International Journal of Innovative Knowledge Concepts,&nbsp;6(12), 179-184. Razak, N. A., Yassin, A. A., &amp; Maasum, T. N. R. B. T. (2017). Effect of Foreign Language Anxiety on Gender and Academic Achievement among Yemeni University EFL Students.&nbsp;English Language Teaching,&nbsp;10(2), 73-85. Rezazadeh, M., &amp; Tavakoli, M. (2009). Investigating the Relationship among Test Anxiety, Gender, Academic Achievement and Years of Study: A Case of Iranian EFL University Students. English Language Teaching, 2(4), 68-74. Sadiq, J. M. (2017). Anxiety in English Language Learning: A Case Study of English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;English Language Teaching,&nbsp;10(7), 1-7. Said, M. M., &amp; Weda, S. (2018). English language anxiety and its impacts on students’ oral communication among Indonesian students: a case study at Tadulako University and Universitas Negeri Makassar.&nbsp;TESOL International Journal,&nbsp;13(3), 21-30. Sheen, Y. (2008). Recasts, language anxiety, modified output, and L2 learning.&nbsp;Language learning,&nbsp;58(4), 835-874. Schütz, R. (2007). Stephen Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition.&nbsp;English made in Brazil,&nbsp;2(2), 2007. Soriano, R. M. (2017). SILENCE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS: STUDENTS’PERSPECTIVE ON CLASSROOM LANGUAGE ANXIETY.&nbsp;QSU Research Journal,&nbsp;6(1), 1-1. Tanveer, M. (2007). Investigation of the factors that cause language anxiety for ESL/EFL learners in learning speaking skills and the influence it casts on communication in the target language.&nbsp;University of Glasgow, Scotland. Tosun, B. (2018). The title of your paper: Oh no! Not ready to speak! An investigation on the major factors of foreign language classroom anxiety and the relationship between anxiety and age. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 14(1), 230-241. Yassin, M. (2018). Age Sex and Grade Across Level Of Education Effect On Foreign Language Anxiety.&nbsp;Journey (Journal of English Language and Pedagogy),&nbsp;1(1), 67-77.