Int. j. adv. multidisc. res. stud.

2025; 5(1):317-326

Received: 25-11-2024
Accepted: 05-01-2025

Learning Styles and Reading Comprehension in Modular Distance Learning of

Grade 12 Senior High School Students
1 Algina
E Legaspi, 2 Danielle Joei R Nazareno, 3 Imee C Guan, 4 MA. Shailalei F Igat
1, 2, 3, 4
Department of Teacher Education and Languages, Secondary Education Program, Cavite State University,
Philippines

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62225/2583049X.2025.5.1.3656 Corresponding Author: Algina E Legaspi

Abstract
The study aimed to find the difference between Grade 12 under modular distance learning were selected as
students' reading comprehension in terms of their learning participants.
styles in modular distance learning. Specifically, it aimed to From the analysis of data, the following findings were
determine the demographic profile of the students in terms determined:
of gender, age, academic track and strand; different learning In terms of learning style, the results revealed that Reflector
styles of the students based on David Kolb’s theory of was the dominant learning style of the students. However,
learning styles; different level of students’ reading Critical comprehension had a frequency of 10 participants,
comprehension; and the significant difference between equivalent to 33 percent. Thus, in cross tabulation, it is
students’ learning styles and their reading comprehension in implied that there are four Reflector students described at
modular distance learning. This study was conducted at Critical level of reading comprehension. The significant
Cavite National High School from February-June 2021 with difference between learning styles and reading
30 Grade 12 senior high school students as participants from comprehension is 0.26 resulting in rejecting the null
the said school. hypothesis of the study which revealed that there was a
Moreover, this study adopted the descriptive survey design significant difference between the two variables. It is
where quantitative data were collected through survey therefore concluded that there is a significant difference
questionnaires. Hence, two validated research questionnaires between learning styles and reading comprehension and that
in checklist form and short-answer form were used in Grade 12 students are described as Critical thinkers on their
gathering primary data. Purposive sampling was applied in level of reading comprehension.
choosing the sample population since only those students

Keywords: Modular Distance Learning, Students, PISA

Introduction
Reading could give a contribution to the students in raising the success of language (Rahayu, 2017) [21]. The English language
in a university carries out a framework that consists of four basic language skills which include listening, speaking, writing and
reading. Reading contains the activity to understand the text and information in the text. Through various reading materials,
students could understand English well and get knowledge in the form of writing. This was supported by the study of Cline, et
al. (2006) that reading is the process of deriving meaning from text, whereas students try to understand the authors’ idea,
meaning of text and think about what they have read.
Meanwhile, Alderson (2000) in his study, said that reading is the process of constructing meaning through dynamic interaction
among readers in written language (cited in Rahayu, 2017) [21]. Reading process means not only “reading” but trying to make
interaction between the reader and the text. It deals with how the readers convey the meaning through the written symbols and
process them into their mind (Rahayu, 2000).
In addition, Ruzgar and Babadogan (2017) [24] state that reading comprehension is one of the most essential learning processes.
All students need to master it through their formal education, since studies show that students who have poor comprehension
abilities do poorly in school or even drop out and get low-income jobs in their adult lives (Kutner et. Al, 2007 cited in
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Williams, 2010). It is also believed that individuals without forms abstract concepts and generalizations based on
a strong comprehension level negatively affect the whole hypotheses. Finally, the learner tests the implications of
society socially, economically, and intellectually (Littin, these concepts in new situations. After this step, the process
2001). Thus, comprehension is an important area of study once again cycles back to the first stage of the experiential
for scholars of education, and it encompasses a wide area in process. Kolb’s learning styles are based on two major
education literature. dimensions; active/reflective and abstract/concrete.
According to Hsieh and Dwyer (2009) [11], many studies According to the findings of the Program for International
have found reading strategies useful when implemented Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018, Filipinos aged 15 years
before, during or after reading (cited in Brown, 2002; old and above scored lower in reading comprehension tests
Ediger, 2005; Fagan, 2003; McGlinchey & Hixson, 2004; compared to the other nations that participated in their
Millis & King, 2001; Sorrell, 1996). For example, reading study. Hence, the researchers will determine the difference
strategies include rereading, scanning, summarizing, in the level of reading comprehension of students in terms of
keywords, context clues, question-answer relationships, their learning styles.
inferring, thinking aloud, activating prior knowledge, setting
a purpose, and drawing conclusions. Online learning Statement of the Problem
environments are becoming popular for most teachers and This study aimed to determine the level of reading
students. However, few studies focus on appropriate online comprehension of Grade 12 students and their learning
reading strategies for different types of learners, and most styles in modular distance learning. Specifically, this study
studies focus only on the effectiveness of text-based reading answered the following questions:
strategies. 1. What is the demographic profile of students in terms of
The online learning environment has become more and gender, age, academic track and strand?
more popular for educators and learners, due to its multiple 2. What are the different learning styles of the students
visual and audio representations. Online learning is a trend based on David Kolb's learning style theory?
that has the potential to enhance learning and increases the 3. What are the levels of reading comprehension of the
importance of knowledge of new teaching methods which students?
apply to new learning environments (cited in Jung, 2001; 4. Is there a significant difference between students’
Romero, Berger, Healy & Aberson, 2000). According to learning styles and their level of comprehension?
previous studies, many learners encounter difficulties
learning online, since they have difficulty changing their Objectives of the Study
learning habits to accept reading electronic texts (Aragon, This study aimed to find the difference between Grade 12
2004; Steinhauer & Friederici, 2001). Learners feel doubtful students' reading comprehension in terms of their learning
about their learning abilities and believe that they are not as styles in modular distance learning. Specifically, it aimed to
skilled as readers who can overcome the changes in the determine the:
learning process. 1. demographic profile of the students in terms of gender,
In addition, students with their own learning styles may age, academic track and strand;
process information differently in an online environment 2. different learning styles of the students based on David
(cited in Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1969; Burton, Moore & Kolb's theory of learning styles;
Holmes, 1995; Huitt, 2003). Different online reading 3. different level of reading comprehension of students;
strategies may influence the students’ information 4. significant difference between students' learning styles
processing methods (cited in Driscoll, 2005; Schunk, 2004). and their reading comprehension in modular distance
Rachma, et al. (2015) [20] believed that students have learning.
probably noticed that when they try to learn something new
inside the classroom, some of them prefer to learn by Research Hypothesis
listening carefully to the teacher who talks about There is no significant difference between students’ learning
information or prefer to read the information given by the styles and the grade 12 students’ reading comprehension in
teacher, while the rest might be understood better by seeing modular distance learning.
a direct demonstration from the teacher. It shows that each
student has a different way of responding to new Significance of the Study
information in the context of learning. This is what many This study was primarily intended to understand the learning
people call a learning style, as a student's characteristic styles and reading comprehension in modular distance
dealing with strengths and weaknesses in taking and learning of Grade 12 senior high school students. Gathered
processing information. The kind of learning style a student data and results were of great significance in improving the
possesses is important for the teacher in order to create an teacher’s approach in teaching reading comprehension that
appropriate technique in teaching because students will be matches with the students’ learning styles. Moreover, this
more successful in getting information if the teachers match study would greatly benefit the following individuals:
their way of teaching to students’ learning styles. Teachers: This study would benefit the teachers by
According to Rachma, et al. (2015) [20] there are three main improving their teaching strategies in modular distance
cognitive styles: Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic; however learning especially in the areas dealing with reading
on David Kolb’s (1984) theory of learning styles and comprehension and to understand the different learning
experiential theory, learning is viewed as a four-stage cycle. styles of students in comprehending their reading materials.
First, immediate and concrete experiences serve as a basis Students: Particularly the senior high school students would
for observation. Next, the individual reflects on these also benefit the study by acquiring techniques that will
observations and begins to build a general theory of what match their learning styles to easily comprehend their
this information might mean. In the next step, the learner reading materials.
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School administrators: The result of this study could serve “dealing with matters of evaluation, worth, acceptability, or
as a guide for school administrators in designing effective probability” which means the ability of a person to go
teaching strategies in reading comprehension for their deeper into the text. This work of Guszak leads to other
faculty members and to acknowledge students with different research incorporating reading comprehension to the
learning styles. learning styles of the students.
Future researchers: The result of this study would be Based on Magfirah (2017), as cited in Saadi’s (2012) study,
beneficial to the future researchers who intend to write many students encounter difficulties in reading because they
similar studies. The result of this study could serve as future get difficulties in comprehending reading materials. He
reference on related parts. found that teachers probably do not use an appropriate
strategy in teaching English, especially in reading. Gilakjani
Time and Place of the Study (2012), as cited by Magfirah, T. (2017) stated that one of the
This study was conducted at Cavite National High School- main objectives of foreign language learning settings is to
Senior High from February to July 2021. let the students be aware of the personal differences and
potential effects on learning process and outcomes. They
Scope and Limitation of the Study saw this as one of the main reasons why learners failed to
This study focused on the reading comprehension of the learn foreign language specifically, English language, and
Grade 12 students in modular distance learning. It covered also the reason why learners have a difficult time deducing
the learning styles that students have in order to comprehend the reading materials. It was also supported by Ellis (1985)
their reading materials. It also aimed to find the difference which also cited by Magfirah (2017) that learners vary in
between students’ learning styles and their level of reading terms of personality, age, learning styles, motivation,
comprehension. aptitude, and age wherein it determines whether the student
will be successful or will fail in learning English language
Theoretical Framework as well as reading materials in English.
Reading Comprehension believed to start from Sir Frederic Based on Dunn and Griggs (1998), as cited in the study of
Bartlett’s Schema Theory in 1932. In his study, he created Vaseghi et al. (2012) [28], learning styles consist of attitude,
the word “schema” in which the use of past experiences of favorites, and the likes in which the learners used in
an individual in learning new things. This study was later learning. It was also supported by Vaseghi et al. (2012) [28]
incorporated into reading comprehension by David E. in which they proposed that learners use their past
Rumelhart (1980) [23] and two other researchers. They experiences (schema) and cultural background to learn.
proposed that a person uses his/her schema or prior Thus, most learners learn best through data and facts and
knowledge and past experiences in reading. Thus, it proves some preferred models and theories.
that the reading comprehension of the students is It was also related to the study of David Kolb (1984), as
incorporated with their “schema” or prior knowledge and discussed by McLeod (2017), in which he defined learning
how they perceived the reading materials as what learning as a process of transforming experiences into knowledge. It
styles suggested. is the reason why Kolb (1984) created the four learning
The 1978 study of Walter Kintsch and Teun A. van Dijk styles of the students. These are: Active Experimentation
found out that readers often reflect on their thoughts about (doing), Reflective Observation (watching), Concrete
the text and their pre-existing idea about it. Their study Experience (feeling) and Abstract Conceptualization
believed that the readers create mental representations of the (thinking). Active experimentation refers to the learners who
reading material in their minds then it will be stored as are able to understand a lesson by doing it first-hand. On the
semantic representations while reading. This helps the other styles such as reflective observation, it refers to a
readers to recall and use their past knowledge about the text learner who learns best through visual representations and
they read. Therefore, the mental representations stored in observation. They also learn by asking their peers about
their mind can be triggered and remembered by the user or their understanding of the text and other experiences, and
the reader through their learning styles. Since they are doing either comparing it to their existing understanding of the text
it through their comfortability and ways of learning, it or adding to their knowledge. In concrete experience,
makes reading comprehension successful. learners acquire knowledge through their five (5) senses.
Through the years, the level of comprehension varies from Lastly, the abstract conceptualization in which the learners
one researcher to another as well as the rankings, making the compare their learnings to theories or logical concepts that
literal comprehension as the lowest level while critical they have learned before.
comprehension being the highest. Yet Frank Guszak (1970) According to the study of Vester (1998), as cited by Rachma
[10]
refrained from these rankings of comprehension. He et al. (2015) [20], students can understand the reading text
proposed to his study to not use hierarchy by the cognitive with the use of stored knowledge in the brain coming from
ability of each level. Thus, he made three specific what they perceived to hear (auditory), see (visual) and
comprehensions and defined them one by one. According to move or touch (kinesthetic). In the study of Rachma et al.
his study in 1970, literal comprehension is the dealing with (2015) [20], they believed that the student’s learning style has
facts. He measured it by “student's skill in recognizing some an impact on the reading comprehension since students are
literal elements while reading or recalling such an element most likely to understand a given literary text once they
after a selection has been read”. On the contrary, inferential have done it in their preferred way. Hence, Rachma et al.
comprehension was defined by him as “dealing with (2015) [20] concluded that kinesthetic learners have a higher
interpretations and deductions not explicitly stated in the level of comprehension than other learning styles such as
text” or in other words, the ability of the person to go visual and auditory. Other studies that were also made
beyond what is written by using inferences. Consequently, believed that visual learners are the best readers in
critical evaluation is defined by Guszak (1970) [10] as comprehending texts.
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According to Rujani (2019) [22], visual learners tend to read Definition of Terms
textbooks, journals, articles and newspapers to increase their The following concepts needed to be defined so as to
knowledge. Hence, auditory learners experience difficulty in prevent any ambiguity that may result from their
understanding the text when they read it silently and with misinterpretation. These terms are operationally defined:
speed. It makes them memorize the text or even the verbal Learning Styles refer to a range of competing and contested
discussion of the teacher faster than other learners. theories that aim to account for differences in an individual's
Meanwhile, kinesthetic learners like to read books, learning.
especially action-oriented books. Yet they are unable to sit Reflector refers to people who learn through observation
still and listen for more than four minutes. While reading, and deep thinking about what happened, and one of the
they also jot down and use effective strategies to focus since learning styles David Kolb created.
they are more on moving. Rujani (2019) [22] also cited Kolb Pragmatist refers to people who preferred lessons that they
(1984) said that a kinesthetic learner often “jumps in '' and is could incorporate or use in the real world.
often interested in reading and discussing adventure, field Activist is a type of learner who likes to manipulate things
trip, visiting new places, and others. by putting themselves in the process.
As also proposed by Magfirah (2017), when an instructor Theorist refers to the use of theories and concepts to
considers the way the students learn, it helps the learners to understand a lesson. They prefer models, facts and concepts
enjoy learning and be comfortable in gaining new to be incorporated in the learning process.
information in their own preferred way. Thus, he discussed Reading Comprehension refers to the understanding and
that learning style is not centered with what the learners interpretation of what is read. To be able to accurately
learn but how learners prefer to learn the materials presented understand written material, children need to be able to
to them. Furthermore, each student has their own way to decode what they read; make connections between what
learn. The instructors must govern how they prefer to learn they read and what they already know; and think deeply
and how to process the knowledge. Thus, the level of about what they have read.
reading comprehension of students may still vary from their Literal is a type of reading comprehension in which refers
learning styles. to a person that comprehends what is exactly stated in the
text.
Conceptual Framework of the Study Inferential is an ability of a person to use inferences to
prove their claims or understanding about the text.
Critical refers to the use of your experiences and opinion to
answer the questions related to the reading material you
were reading.
Module refers to a set of standardized parts or independent
units that can be used to construct a more complex structure.
Modular Distance Learning refers to individualized
instruction that allows learners to use self-learning modules
in print or digital format/electronic cpy, wherever is
applicable to the learner. Learners under modular distance
learning can also use other resources such as learner’s
material, textbooks, activity sheets, study guides and other
study materials.
Students refers primarily to a person enrolled in a school or
other education institution and who is learning with goals of
acquiring knowledge, developing professions and achieving
employment in a desired field.
Fig 1: Process flow of the study on reading comprehension and
learning styles in modular distance learning of Grade 12 senior Review of the Related Literature
high school students
This chapter presents various findings and ideas taken from
different studies, books, and websites on the internet which
As shown in Fig 1, the data that were considered for this serve as background information of this research.
research includes the demographic profile of the
participants, learning styles, the different level of reading Studies related to Reading Comprehension
comprehension of Grade 12 students, and the difference Reading comprehension is a measurement of the student’s
between students’ learning styles and their reading capacity to comprehend, apply, and reflect on the reading
comprehension in modular distance learning. text in order to develop knowledge, achieve the goals and to
The process includes the procedure applied in analyzing and participate in the society (Program for International Student
evaluating the information obtained such as results acquired Assessment, 2018).
from reading comprehension questionnaires, surveys and In a study conducted by PISA (2018), findings revealed that
observation with the target participants, statistical analysis the Philippines got 340 points which made it one of the
of data and interpretation of results. nations with low reading comprehension. The assessment
The output of the study was the desired end-goal of the was conducted among high school students. They mentioned
research which is the learning styles and reading that over 80 percent of Filipino students are unable to get the
comprehension in modular distance learning of Grade 12 minimum level of reading proficiency.
senior high school students.

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According to Elleman A. and Oslund E. (2019) [8], reading various factors such as Active Experimentation or doing,
comprehension is one of the most complex in terms of Reflective Observation or watching, Concrete Experience or
cognitive activities as people engage into it, making reading feeling and Abstract Conceptualization or thinking. He
comprehension difficult to teach, measure and a subject for believed it can be used by teachers to critically evaluate the
research. students' abilities and to create more appropriate
In the study of Papatga and Ersoy (2015), it was mentioned opportunities in learning.
that reading comprehension skills, if acquired, can make the As mentioned by Chick (2015), everyone has a specific
person successful not only in school courses but also in life. learning style or preference in learning. Individuals often
They also cited May and Rizzardi’s (2002) definition of learn best once the information is given to them through
reading comprehension process as to comprehend what the their styles. Instruction must be aligned to the individual’s
author wants to convey to the readers intentionally. Papatya learning style (Pashler, et.al., 2009).
and Ersoy (2015) believed that this skill can also be used by Dunn and Griggs (1998) as cited by Vaseghi, et al. (2012)
[28]
individuals throughout their lifespan. stated that learning styles are composed of attitudes and
Bloom (1995), as cited in Papatga and Ersoy (2015) argue favorites that learners use in learning. Learning styles are
that reading comprehension is a skill which can be used in influenced by the learner’s past experiences and culture.
all courses and students’ success in it can predict their Thus, other learners learn best through data and facts, while
achievements in their chosen course. Regardless of the some prefer models and theories.
course or track of the students, they can be successful once Neil Fleming (2001) proposed the VARK (visual, auditory,
they have mastery of reading comprehension. reading/writing and kinesthetic) model to provide definition
The National Reading Technical Assistance Center (2015) to learning styles as a person’s characteristics and
conducted a review of the current research in the field of comfortable way to gather, organize and think about
comprehension instruction. They cited the Sweet and Snow information.
(2003), which revealed that reading comprehension became Ahghar and Mehrdad (2013) [15] conducted a study about the
relevant to the students after elementary school. NRTAC language preferences of English as Foreign Language (EFL)
(2015) reasoned that reading comprehension skill became students and they found that most students prefer to learn by
the students’ foundation to learn further in secondary listening. Thus, teachers often want the students to copy
schools. In addition, NRTAC (2015) believed that the what is written on the board. According to these two
academic progress of the students can be explained through researchers, listening is an alternative because they argue
their ability to read. Thus, the inability of the students to that having heavy emphasis on taking notes forces the
understand what they are reading is more unlikely due to in- students to learn. Instead of listening to learn, they would
acquisition of skills needed in the job they wanted which led have to copy lectures being discussed. They also stated that
to the inability to join the 21st century workforce. assessing students’ learning styles and considering it as a
As cited in Bayat (2020) [4], there is a process and a required basis for teaching are teacher’s dual responsibility. A
skill to successfully comprehend a certain text. During teacher needs to determine the student’s learning
reading, a person will decode the text. As defined by Hoover preferences and afterwards, select from a variety of options
and Gough (1990) and Bayat (2020) [4], decoding is an on how to address them. On the latter part, teachers need to
ability to form meaning out of what was written in the text; teach the students about their strengths based on their
hence, comprehension is a by-product of decoding. learning styles. This will help them to focus, process, and
A lot of researchers and psychologists defined reading recall new and complex information. Both researchers
comprehension and thus, form hierarchy in its types. proposed that learning styles have been encouraging
Meanwhile, Guszak (1970) [10] stated in his study entitled, researchers, be it in general or ESL and EFL learners’
“Strategies of Measuring Students' Understanding of learning styles to understand each learner and to develop an
Written Materials” to not rank the level of comprehension. effective way for a person to learn.
The cognitive skills of a person must not be thought of as Meanwhile, Zeybek and Senturk (2020) [29] mentioned a
lower or higher than others. He made three specific levels of person realizes his/her learning styles through interaction
comprehension such as, literal which means dealing with with other people. The researchers also cited Senemoglu
facts or what was written in the text; inferential is the (2012) stating learning styles were designed because people
making of interpretations and deductions of the reader in the need to learn how to adapt with the surroundings to survive.
text explicitly; and critical comprehension is done through Hence, learning styles need to be explained to unfold the
evaluation, worth and probability. behavior of students, how they behave in a situation, to
Rujani (2017) defined comprehension as the reason for reflect learning.
people to read. In order to comprehend the text, they need to Keefe (1984) cited in Antelm-Lanzat, et al. (2020) [1] said
interact with it by determining the purpose of reading the that learning style is a cognitive, affective and psychological
text and finding the message. He mentioned that it is personality trait that indicates how a learner learns and
relevant for a senior high school student to master reading adapts to the environment. Learning style can serve as the
comprehension to understand the text they will read while learners’ primary source of knowledge. Learning style is
learning English. essential to develop the teaching and learning process
(Gomez and Gil, 2018; to respond to the student’s needs
Studies related to Learning Styles (Kulinna & Cothran, 2003; Haciomeroglu, 2016; Antelm-
According to Kolb (1984) an cited by Mcleod (2017), Lanzat et al., 2020 [1]); improve school performance (Kim
“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created et.al, 2016; Antelm-Lanzat et.al., 2020 [1]) and to serve as
through the transformation of experience” Kolb focused on guide to the students.
four distinct learning styles he believed being influenced by

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Studies related to Learning Styles and Reading knowledge while auditory learners have a hard time
Comprehension understanding the text when read silently and with speed.
According to Rahayu (2017) [21], as stated in Hilliard (2001); They memorize the text or even the verbal discussion of the
Naning and Hayati (2011), “learning styles are the teacher faster than other learners. Kinesthetic learners like to
characteristic ways in which an individual acquires, read books, especially action-oriented ones. Yet, they are
perceives, and processes information”. It means that the unable to sit still and listen for more than 4 minutes. While
learning styles of learners influence the way they think of reading, they are also jotting down notes and using effective
the text they are reading; thus, it helps them to understand strategies to focus since they are more on moving.
the literary piece better.. Kolb (1984) cited in Rujani (2017) states a kinesthetic
Psychological Science published a study in 2019 in which learner often “jumps in '' and is often interested in reading
the researchers found out about the “knowledge threshold” and discussing adventure, field trips, and the likes. This
which is incorporated into reading comprehension. It means means that learners have their own set of preferences
that the students with 59% unfamiliar with the terms used in depending on their learning style which they may use for
the topic, their understanding of the text will be comprehending a reading material.
compromised. Hence, it is also stated that the students’ past
experiences as well as preferences in learning can also affect Methodology
the way they learn (Terada, 2019) [26]. Zeybek and Senturk This chapter discusses the operational plan of work. A
(2020) [29], argue that once individuals have determined their number of activities in the plan of work include the
learning style, it will be easier for them to arrange their following operations: Research design, research hypothesis,
learning experiences that would help to comprehend a text. sources of data, participants of the study, sampling
In the study of Balci (2017), findings revealed that learning- technique, research instrument, data gathering procedure,
style based activities were seen as more accurate and and statistical treatment of data.
effective in achieving reading comprehension than doing
activities in traditional reading comprehension. It was Research Design
proven that learning style can be predicted through reading This study adopted the descriptive-survey design where
comprehension. quantitative data were collected through survey
Sulisawati et al. (2019) [25] observed students have questionnaires. Quantitative emphasizes systematic
mannerisms while reading based on their learning styles. investigation of events by gathering numerical facts and
Visual learners often write what they understand and think applying mathematical, statistical and computational
about the text; write systematically, scribble, and read the methods in the research study (Babbie, E.R., 2010).
text 2 to 3 times while underlining the information seen in Descriptive-survey aims to accurately and systematically
the text. Meanwhile, auditory learners read the follow-up describe a population, situation or phenomenon (Mc
question 4 times to understand the problem, occasionally Combes, S., 2019).
read the texts while moving their lips, cross out the writings This method was used in this study since the researchers
or the product of their understanding which are incorrect. gathered the data through questionnaires and did not
But this type of learner is unable to distinguish the parts and manipulate the presented variables. Survey questionnaire
answer correctly. Furthermore, kinesthetic learners found was administered to the participants to gather data about
out that they do not write what they understood; instead, their learning styles and reading comprehension skills. Thus,
they scribbled corrections from wrong understanding, gave the researchers described the difference between the
signs on the writing that seems relevant, read the question 2- learning styles and reading comprehension of the
4 times and often performed specific movements which participants. The gathered data were tallied, analyzed, and
showed that they are thinking such as pointing the questions, interpreted to answer the statement of the problem and to
playing fingers and nails, and rubbing their hands. These prove the hypothesis raised in the study.
greatly show that the students do things in accordance to
their learning styles to comprehend the text. Sources of Data
Rachma, et al. (2015) [20] argue teachers should know the Primary data came from the responses of the participants
learning styles of the students and choose the best way to using the survey questionnaires and secondary data were
teach the students in reading. Students are able to read a taken from reliable websites on the internet.
reading text but it was difficult for them to comprehend it.
Hence, they concluded that the best learning style on Participants of the Study
reading comprehension is Kinesthetic because this type of The participants of this study were the Grade 12 senior high
learners can develop an appropriate strategy to comprehend school students of Cavite National High School under the
a reading text through discussing the topic together. This is modular distance learning.
also because of the habit of Kinesthetic learners to
remember and jot down notes while reading and use reading Sampling Technique
strategies to help them focus. The second-best learning style Purposive sampling technique was applied in choosing the
was auditory because they memorize the text through Grade 12 senior high school students in modular distance
reading it loud and sometimes, listening to tapes to learning because their grade level has a high number of
understand the text better. Also, they added that people who students experiencing the current modality and with the
have more than one learning style tend to be the worst in researchers’ belief that senior high students have the
comprehension; thus, making them find what is the more capability to express their views about their learning
dominant learning style. preferences. Thus, only students who qualified based on the
According to Rujani (2017), visual learners tend to read stated requirements were selected as participants of the
textbooks, journals, articles and newspapers to increase their study.
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Data Gathering Procedure Statistical Treatment

Before the initial part of the data gathering, the research The following statistical tests were applied to answer the
proposal was validated by the Ethics Review Board (ERB) specific problems and hypothesis of the study.
to ensure that this paper follows the ethical guidelines of the Frequency and percentage count were used to determine
institution regarding academic research. Hence, once the the demographic profile of the participants. Frequency is the
study was approved by ERB, the researchers had prepared number of occurrences of a certain data while percentage is
the letter of request that was presented to the principal of a translation of frequency as a proportion of a whole which
Cavite National High School-Senior High School is 100.
Department and to the participants who are the Grade 12
senior high school students of Cavite National High School
along with the certificate of validation from ERB and the
validated questionnaire signed by the campus
psychometrician. The letter of request was signed by the Where:
campus administrator of Cavite State University-Cavite City f = frequency
Campus along with the researchers and thesis adviser. Upon N = number of cases
the approval of the letter of request, researchers proceeded
in conducting their research study. Mean is the average of the summation of all data divided by
Since the participants were difficult to reach due to the total number of population. It was used to measure the
pandemic and the mode of learning of the students was in learning styles and level of comprehension in reading of
modular distance learning, the researchers requested the Grade 12 senior high school students.
principal to inform and disseminate the research study to the Formula for the mean:
teachers handling Grade 12 students in order for them to
pass it through to the students.
The questionnaires were sent to the teachers online; after
which, they forwarded to the students who qualified as
participant. The students were not forced to answer the Where:
questionnaires provided to them - it is in their own will to = is the summation of the product of the
fill and complete the survey form. frequency and class mark
Henceforth, it took five days for the researchers to collect = is the total number of the population.
the responses. Upon completion of the responses of the 30
participants, the researchers proceeded in tallying; hence, ANOVA or Analysis of Variance was used to determine
the researchers started off by counting the number of the difference between the learning styles and reading
students who were under the Science, Technology, comprehension of grade 12 senior high school students in
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Accountancy and terms of their learning style and level of comprehension in
Business Management (ABM), Humanities and Social reading.
Sciences (HUMSS), and Technological-Vocational-
Livelihood (TVL) program as well as the students’ age. Formula for ANOVA:
After finding the tally of the students’ stand and track and
their age, the researchers began to tally the learning styles
by identifying what is the highest learning style of the
students based on their responses in the questionnaire.
Moreover, in examining the reading comprehension of the Where:
students, a rubric that was adapted from the internet was MSB -= Mean-Square Between
also provided by the researchers. Thereafter, the researchers MSW = Mean-Square Within.
analyzed and organized the results and then proceeded to the
statistical treatment of data. T-test was used to determine the significant difference
Finally, after gathering and organizing the results, the used between the learning styles and level of comprehension in
questionnaires were deleted from the devices of the reading of Grade 12 senior high students in modular
researchers to prevent the students’ demographic profile and distance learning.
responses from spreading. Formula for T-test:

Research Instrument
Two validated research questionnaires in checklist form and
short-answer form were the data gathering instruments for
Where:
this study. The researchers adapted the Learning Style
questionnaire designed by Honey and Mumford (1982) [16] = Student’s t-test
and the Reading Comprehension questionnaire created by = mean
Course Hero (2019) [7]. The former measured the
participants’ level of reading comprehension. The first part = theoretical value
of the questionnaire consists of the demographic profile of = standard deviation
the participants while the second part consists of identifying
the participants’ learning style. The third part consists of = variable set size
questions to measure the participants’ level of
comprehension in reading.
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Results and Discussion Learning Styles

This chapter presents the outcomes of the study in Table 4 shows the learning styles of the Grade 12 students.
illustrative tables and their corresponding analysis with the The result showed that Reflector had a frequency of 7 or 23
interpretations derived from the statistical treatment of data. percent; followed by Activist-Reflector, All learning styles,
and Theoretical with a frequency of 4 each, equivalent to 40
Demographic Profile of the Participants percent. Consequently, Reflector-Pragmatist and Reflector-
The demographic profile of the participants was measured Theoretical-Pragmatist got a frequency of 3 each or
through age, gender, and academic track and strand. equivalent to 7 percent. The least learning styles are
Table 1 shows the distribution of participants according to Activist, Activist-Pragmatist, Activist-Theoretical,
age. The age of participants tallied according to the Pragmatist, and Pragmatist-Theoretical with a frequency of
frequency of age input by the participants. 1 each or equivalent to 16 percent. Therefore, the dominant
As the table shows, 18 years old got a frequency of 17 or 57 learning style of Grade 12 students is Reflector.
percent; followed by 17 years old with a frequency of 5 or
17 percent. Participants who are 20 years old got a Table 4: Distribution of participants according to learning styles
frequency of 4 or 13 percent; 19 years old got a frequency of Learning Style Frequency Percentage
3 or 10 percent. and a participant aged 21 years old got a Activist 1 3.00
frequency of 1 or 3 percent. It indicates that Grade 12 Activist-Pragmatist 1 3.00
students are mostly 18 years old and the least common age Activist-Reflector 4 13.00
is 21 years old. Activist-Theoretical 1 3.00
All learning styles 4 13.00
Table 1: Distribution of participants according to age Pragmatist 1 3.00
Pragmatist-Theoretical 1 3.00
Age Frequency Percentage Reflector 7 23.00
17 5 17.00 Reflector-Pragmatist 3 10.00
18 17 57.00 Reflector-Theoretical-Pragmatist 3 10.00
19 3 10.00 Theoretical 4 13.00
20 4 13.00 TOTAL 30 100.00
21 1 3.00
Total 30 100
Reading Comprehension
The level of reading comprehension of participants is shown
Table 2 shows the distribution of gender among Grade 12
in Table 5. Results showed most Grade 12 students are
students in which the majority of them are male with a
under Critical level of reading comprehension with 10 out of
frequency of 21 or 70 percent, followed by the females with
30 participants or 33 percent; followed by Inferential with 9
9 or 30 percent. This indicates that male participants
participants or 3 percent. Literal comprehension got 8 or 27
outnumbered the female participants.
percent. Inferential-Critical got 2 or 7 percent. There was
Table 2: Distribution of participants according to gender
only one Literal-Inferential with 3 percent. This is the least
level of reading comprehension among Grade 12 students.
Gender Frequency Percentage Thus, it indicates that students are able to judge a certain
Male 21 70.00 reading material critically and logically since most of them
Female 9 30.00 are at Critical thinkers.
Total 30 100
Table 5: Distribution of participants according to reading
Table 3 consists of participants’ academic track and strand. comprehension
Arts and Design got the highest number with a frequency of
15, equivalent to 50 percent; followed by Science, Reading Comprehension Frequency Percentage
Critical 10 33.00
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with a
Inferential 9 30.00
frequency of 10, equivalent to 30 percent. Technical- Inferential-Critical 2 7.00
Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track scored 4, equivalent to Literal 8 27.00
13 percent. The least strand, Accounting and Business Literal-Inferential 1 3.00
Management (ABM) got a frequency of 1 or 3 percent. Total 30 100
Hence, it suggests that the participants are mostly under the
Arts and Design strand. Learning Styles and Reading Comprehension
The cross tabulation of reading comprehension and learning
Table 3: Distribution of participants according to academic track styles is shown in Table 6. Cross tabulation indicated that
and strand those students with a learning style of Reflector got a score
Track & Strand Frequency Percentage of 4 with reading comprehension of Critical; followed by
Arts and Design 15 50.00 Activist-Reflector with a cross tabulation score of 2 with
Accounting and Business reading comprehension of Literal. All Learning Styles got
1 3.00
Management (ABM) two with reading comprehension of Inferential and Literal;
Science, Technology, Reflector-Pragmatist got a score of two with reading
Engineering and 10 33.00 comprehension of Inferential; Reflective-Theoretical-
Mathematics (STEM)
Pragmatic got a score of two with reading comprehension of
Technical-Vocational-Livelihood
4 13.00 Critical; and Theoretical got a score of two with reading
(TVL)
Total 30 100.00 comprehension of Inferential. The following scored 1 in
cross tabulation: Activist with reading comprehension of
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Literal; Activist-Pragmatist with reading comprehension of variables: 1. demographic profile of the participants in terms
Critical; Activist-Reflector with reading comprehension of of age, gender and academic track and strand; 2. students’
Critical and Literal-Inferential; Activist-Theoretical with learning styles; 3. students’ level of reading comprehension;
reading comprehension of Inferential-Critical; Pragmatist and 4. significant difference between learning styles and
with reading comprehension of Inferential; Pragmatist- reading comprehension.
Theoretical with reading comprehension of Literal; The researchers used the descriptive survey design to
Reflector with reading comprehension of Inferential, determine the difference between learning styles and reading
Inferential-Critical, and Literal; Reflector-Pragmatist with comprehension of Grade 12 senior high school students.
reading comprehension of Critical; Reflector-Theoretical- Furthermore, the researchers used two valid questionnaires
Pragmatist with reading comprehension of Inferential; and adapted from Honey and Mumford’s (1982) [16] learning
Theoretical with reading comprehension of Critical and style survey questionnaire and Course Hero’s (2019) [7]
Literal. Thus, it indicates that the most dominant learning NVM Gonzalez’s Bread of Salt reading comprehension
style is Reflector and they also have the Critical level of questionnaire.
reading comprehension. Purposive sampling was applied in choosing the sample
population. The researchers used frequency and percentage
Table 6: Distribution of participants in cross tabulation according to determine the demographic profile of the students; mean
to the level of reading comprehension and learning styles was used to measure the learning styles and level of reading
A AP AR AT ALS P PT R RP RTP T Total comprehension; ANOVA was used to determine the
Critical 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 1 10 difference between the two variables, while T-test was used
Inferential 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 2 9 to know the significant difference between learning styles
Inferential-Critical 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 and reading comprehension.
Literal 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 8 After thorough analysis of gathered data, results revealed
Literal-Inferential 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 that out of 30 participants, 17 were 18 years old, equivalent
Total 1 1 4 1 4 1 1 7 3 3 4 30 to 57 percent and male with a frequency of 21 or 70 percent.
Consequently, among the tracks and strands, Arts and
Description: Design students got the highest frequency of 15, equivalent
A- Activist PT- Pragmatist-Theoretical to 50 percent. For the learning styles, Reflector was
AP- Activist-Pragmatist R- Reflector dominant with a frequency of 7 or 23 percent. Critical
AR- Activist-Reflector RP- Reflector-Pragmatist
comprehension had 10 participants, equivalent to 33 percent.
AT- Activist-Theoretical RTP- Reflector-Theoretical-Pragmatist
ALS- All Learning Styles T- Theoretical
Thus, in cross tabulation, it implied that there were four
P- Pragmatist Reflector students who are at Critical level of reading
comprehension.
Table 7 shows the significant difference between reading The significant difference between learning styles and
comprehension and learning styles. The significant reading comprehension is 0.26 with margin of error of .122
difference of .026 with margin of error of .122 suggested resulting in rejecting the null hypothesis of the study in
that there was a significant difference between learning style which there was indeed a significant difference between the
and reading comprehension. two variables.

Table 7: The difference between learning styles and reading Conclusion

comprehension Based on the results of the study, the researchers therefore
conclude that there is a significant difference between
Asymp.Std. Approx. Approx.
Value learning styles and reading comprehension; thus, it gives
Error3 Tb Sig.
Symmetric .279 .122 2.221 .026 sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. It is just an
Reading indication that the level of reading comprehension of the
.450 .144 2.566 .010 students differs in every learning style. Likewise, the Grade
Dependent
Lambda 12 students are Critical thinkers based on their level of
Nominal Learning
.130 .122 1.017 .309
by Dependent reading comprehension.
Nominal Goodman Reading
.356 .065 .414c
and Dependent Recommendations
Kruskal Learning In view of the summary of findings and conclusions drawn,
.137 .032 .480c
Tau Dependent the following recommendations are offered:
Teachers: They should cater to every learning style and at
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations least do activities that could help the students to comprehend
This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions the reading material easily and effectively through the
drawn, and recommendations based on the data analyzed in application of their learning styles.
the previous chapter. School Administrators: They may conduct seminars and
Summary trainings for the teachers to gain knowledge about students’
The study entitled, "Learning Styles and Reading learning styles and how it can be used for improving
Comprehension in Modular Distance Learning of Grade 12 students' reading comprehension.
Senior High School" was conducted at Cavite National High Students: In regards to the findings of the study, it
School-Senior High School from February to July 2021 to suggested that students may use the way they wanted to
determine the difference between learning styles and reading learn in reading a reading material for inferential to critical
comprehension of Grade 12 senior high school students. comprehension.
Specifically, this study aimed to determine the following
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Future Researchers: They can use this study as their guide 18. OECD. Reading performance (PISA), 2021. Retrieved
for further research. They may conduct study about learning from: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/reading-performance-
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20. Rachma N, Sutarsyah C, Yufrizal H. The Effect of
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