Introduction. Teachers need to adapt teaching methods that consider various learning styles to improve students' understanding of geometry concepts. In addition, gender-sensitive educational interventions are needed to promote equity in mathematics achievement. The aim is to assess how gender and learning styles (read/write and kinesthetic) affect students' ability to understand and apply geometric concepts. Study participants and methods. Data were collected from 49 students (24 females and 25 males) in a rural middle school. Instruments used included the Van Hiele Geometry Test (VHGT) for geometric thinking levels, essay tests for quadrilateral area comprehension, and the VARK questionnaire to determine learning styles. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression, were performed to identify significant differences and interactions among the variables. Results. First, the independent t-test showed no significant differences in geometric thinking levels between male and female students (t(47) = 1.12, p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was found in quadrilateral area comprehension scores between genders, with male students scoring higher than female students (t(47) = 2.24, p < 0.05). Second, ANOVA results indicated a significant difference in quadrilateral area comprehension based on learning styles (F(3,45) = 4.56, p < 0.01). Students with a visual learning style showed better comprehension compared to those with auditory and kinesthetic learning styles (p < 0.05). Third, linear regression analysis demonstrated that learning style was a significant predictor for quadrilateral area comprehension (R² = 0.35, F(3,45) = 8.10, p < 0.001), with visual learners performing the best. However, learning style was not a significant predictor for geometric thinking levels (R² = 0.10, F(3,45) = 1.67, p > 0.05). Altogether, the results that students with a visual learning style exhibited higher levels of geometric thinking compared to their kinesthetic counterparts. However, no significant differences were observed in quadrilateral area comprehension based on gender or learning style. Conclusion. These results highlight the importance of adapting teaching methods to accommodate various learning styles to enhance students' understanding of geometric concepts. Additionally, the study underscores the need for gender-sensitive educational interventions to promote equity in mathematics achievement. This research contributes valuable insights into the interplay between gender, learning styles, and geometry comprehension, offering recommendations for more personalized and adaptive teaching strategies in mathematics education.
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