Effect of brain-based learning on the academic achievement of Senior High School students with different learning styles in selected concepts in integrated science

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of brain-based learning on the academic achievement of senior high school students with different learning styles in selected concepts in Integrated Science. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design and utilised purposive sampling procedure to choose the two schools. Four intact form-three General Arts classes of one hundred and thirty (130) students were selected using the basic randomised sampling procedure for the research. The study sought to answer four research questions: 1. What are the learning style distribution of the students in College of Music Senior High School? 2. To what extent does Brain-Based Learning approach affect the academic achievement of students? 3. To what extent does different learning styles have impact on academic achievement of the students? 4. What is the extent of performance between male and female students exposed to the Brain-Based Learning approach? Data were gathered using achievement tests (ISAT) and questionnaire (KLSIPIF), and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study reveal significant insights into their preferences and diversity. Accommodator is the prevalent learning style, assimilator shows a balanced preference across both genders, converger is characterised by a higher number of low preferences and diverger also displays a balanced distribution but with a higher preference among females. The t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (COMSEC) and control group (MOSEC) with mean scores of 73.52 and 51.88 respectively. The t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups (p = 0.000, sig. at 0.05). With regards to the effect of learning styles on academic achievement of the students, the analysis of covariance used indicates that, the p-values for learning styles and preferences were 0.245 and 0.863 respectively, which were greater than 0.05. This shows that there is no significant difference in the academic performance of students who were administered the brain-based learning approach in relation to their preference levels and learning styles. The t-test conducted with regards to gender indicates that, the p-value of 0.804 was much greater than the significance level (α=0.05). This shows that there is no significant difference in the mean post-test scores between male and female students after being taught with brain-based learning approach. Moreover, the findings of the study revealed that SHS students have overwhelmingly positive mindsets on the use of brain- based learning in the teaching and learning of Integrated Science. In light of these findings, it was recommended that Integrated Science teachers should consider incorporating brain-based learning strategies to improve student learning outcomes. Also, policymakers and educators should collaborate to promote widespread adoption of brain-based learning, recognizing its positive impact. Furthermore, government and educational bodies should sponsor workshops and seminars, while curriculum planners are advised to incorporate brain- based learning in developing the Integrated Science curriculum.