The perceptual learning style preferences of Chinese students of English as a foreign language

This dissertation reports on an empirical study on perceptual learning style preferences of Chinese learners who study English as a foreign language in the People's Republic of China. The study attempts to identify perceptual learning style preferences of these learners and to find out the differences and relationships between perceptual learning style preferences and the following learner variables: educational level field of specialization, and duration of native speaker instruction. The study also explores the factors that influence the shaping and change of learning style preferences. Six hundred and eighty-two Chinese EFL learners from secondary schools and tertiary institutions participated in the study. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire survey and a retrospective writing activity. The questionnaire was an adapted version of Reid's Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Survey. Quantitative data from the questionnaire survey were analyzed using both descriptive and correlational techniques including frequency and mean counting, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and MANOVA. Results showed that this sample of Chinese learners strongly preferred visual and kinesthetic learning and reported less preference for auditory, tactile, group, and individual learning. Results from the ANOVA indicated that there were statistical significances between learning style preferences and the three learner variables under investigation. Results from the MANOVA revealed statistically significant interactions between learner variables and learning style variables. Qualitative data from the retrospective writing activity was complementary to the questionnaire survey. Fourteen factors were identified to have an effect on the shaping of learners' learning style preferences. These factors were classified into learner factors and non-learner factors. This thesis concludes with a discussion of implications from three perspectives, theory, practice and methodology and a consideration of recommendations for future research at both macro- and mirco-levels.