IMPACT OF TACTILE AND VISUAL LEARNING STYLES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS OF BIOLOGY INTEREST IN TARABA STATE

Abstract

Today's generation strongly favors technology-enabled learning due to its widespread use in modern society, with meaningful learning largely dependent on learners' interest and motivation during instruction. It was based on this fact that the researchers investigated the Impact of Tactile and Visual Learning Styles on Students of Biology Interest in Taraba State. Three research questions and three Hypotheses guided the study. Quasi experimental design was used for the study. Collection of Data was by the use of Students' Interest Rating Scale (BSIRS) whose reliability coefficient was found to be 0.82 using Cronbach’s Alfa. The population for the study was 5,361 out of which 110 SS 2 students served as sample of the study. Mean and standard deviation answered research questions. While the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significant level using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results indicate that both styles effectively enhance interest, with Visual Learning style yielding a higher mean gain (8.26) compared to Tactile Learning style (6.12). Importantly, the analysis revealed no significant difference in interest ratings between the two learning styles or across gender. The study concludes that both Learning styles can significantly foster student’s interest in learning Biology. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educators prioritize visual aids, design inclusive hands-on activities, and combine both learning styles to cater to diverse student preferences.