The Concomitance of VLS with Learning Styles in Fostering Reflection among University Students

Abstract

This study attempts to unveil the Concomitance of vocabulary learning strategies with learning styles in fostering reflection among university students during reading comprehension texts. For this purpose, data is collected employing a primary data source in the form of a structured close-ended questionnaire, which is addressed, respectively, to students from the Departments of English Studies in different universities. The participants of this quantitative study are 84 students recruited using a non-probability convenience sampling. In this study, two data analysis methods are used: descriptive analysis and Pearson correlational analysis. The former summarizes the demographic variables and shows that students employ a duality of styles as they prefer to integrate a multi-modal approach to learning, while the latter analyzes the concomitance of the variables. The findings of the Pearson correlation analysis reveal significant relationships of interest in this study. The most salient findings indicate that there is a significant moderate positive association between the learner’s preferences on the one hand, and preparation phase strategies and the teacher’s role on the other hand. Additionally, teacher’s role is significantly associated with preparation phase strategies, production phase strategies and learner’s role. The results of the Pearson correlation indicate that vocabulary learning strategies can also be associated with the classroom environment and management. The study proposes that training in metacognitive, cognition and VL strategies be implemented in language classrooms to increase students’ control over learning and to facilitate their knowledge acquisition.