Students’ Learning Preferences and Academic Performance in GE201 Subject: Basis for Instructional Materials Development

Students in government schools in Arunachal Pradesh find studying history more challenging due to lengthy books and struggling with tests and exams. Philippine history is vital in understanding societal issues, but is often neglected, impacting students' grades. As supported by existing research, learning preferences such as auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile affect academic outcomes. This study explores the relationship between learning preferences and academic performance. The respondents were freshmen college students enrolled in RMMC-MI's Readings in Philippine History subject for the academic year 2024-2025. The first group uses old IMs as the baseline, while the second serves as an experiment using newly developed instructional material. Each group consisted of two hundred, seventy-nine (279). The study utilized a research and development (R&D) method combined with a quasi-experimental research design. The study developed instructional Material tailored to learning preferences, which instructors and department heads evaluated for content, organization, mechanics, and overall package. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between learning preferences and academic performance. Students with auditory preferences initially performed well, with a mean grade of 89. After using newly developed instructional Material, grades improved for all learning styles, with the overall mean increasing from 87 to 91. The instructional Material received high ratings from instructors. The study concludes that instructional materials designed for specific preferences enhance students' academic outcomes. Recommendations include diversifying materials for inclusivity and conducting follow-up studies to evaluate long-term impacts. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring educational resources to individual learning styles for broader academic success.