Gender-based variations in learning styles: a study of higher education students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71085/rjhsa.04.04.149Keywords:
Gender, Learning Styles, Higher Education, Grasha–Riechmann, PakistanAbstract
Learning style research increasingly examines whether gender shapes how students engage with instruction, yet findings across disciplines and cultural contexts remain inconsistent, and most studies rely on small, single-institution samples.
This study examined gender-based differences in learning style preferences among a large, multi-institutional sample of higher education students in Pakistan.
Learning style preferences were assessed using the Grasha–Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS), which measure six dimensions: Independent, Avoidant, Collaborative, Dependent, Competitive, and Participant. Gender differences were tested using independent-samples t-tests, with Cohen's d used to estimate effect sizes and Pearson correlations used to examine relationships among subscales.
Male students scored significantly higher than female students on four of six subscales — Avoidant, Dependent, Competitive, and Participant (all p < .05) — while Independent and Collaborative styles showed no significant gender difference. However, all effect sizes were negligible to small (d = 0.05–0.11), indicating limited practical significance despite statistical significance driven by the large sample. Independent, Competitive, and Participant styles were moderately-to-strongly intercorrelated (r = .51–.60), suggesting a shared underlying orientation toward active, engaged learning.
Gender accounts for only a small proportion of variance in learning style preferences among this population, with substantial overlap between male and female students. Rather than tailoring instruction to gender, higher education institutions should adopt flexible, learner-centered pedagogical approaches that accommodate individual variation. Limitations related to subscale reliability and the cross-sectional design are discussed, along with directions for future instrument validation and longitudinal research.
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