LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES AND ACADEMIC RESILIENCE AS CORRELATES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PHYSICS IN ENUGU STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between learning style, academic resilience, and secondary school students' academic achievement in Physics in Enugu State, Nigeria. A correlational research design was adopted. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised 12,329 Senior Secondary School Two (SS II) Physics students in 292 public secondary schools, from which a sample of 711 students was selected using purposive, proportionate, and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), the Academic Resilience Questionnaire (ARQ), and students' Physics achievement scores. The instruments were validated by three experts in educational sciences and psychology, and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients of 0.71 (LSI) and 0.75 (ARQ) were obtained. Data were analysed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that learning style and academic resilience each had a positive and statistically significant relationship with students' academic achievement in Physics. The study concluded that students with more effective learning style preferences and higher levels of academic resilience tended to achieve better academic outcomes in Physics. It was recommended that teachers support students in identifying effective learning strategies while fostering academic resilience through classroom practices and guidance programmes to improve achievement in Physics.