Classrooms in Diversified Academic Context: Analysis on Students’ Learning Styles and Teachers’ Teaching Style in Philippine High Schools

Abstract

Students’ learning preferences have shifted the focus of Philippine schools from traditional, teacher-centered instruction toward more learner-centered and responsive educational practices. As classrooms become increasingly diverse in terms of students’ abilities, experiences, and learning preferences, educators are expected to adopt flexible instructional strategies that accommodate these differences. This study explored the students’ preferred learning styles and teachers’ teaching styles in Surigao del Sur, Philippines. There were a total of 319 students and 77 teachers from the region who participated in this study. Their learning and teaching styles were identified based on the Grasha Teaching Style Inventory (GTSI) and the Grasha–Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS). The findings revealed that students predominantly preferred the collaborative learning style, followed by dependent and independent learning styles, while teachers primarily adopted the facilitator teaching style. Students’ learning styles were not significantly influenced by sex or school type, whereas educational background was the only demographic factor that significantly affected teachers’ teaching styles. Nevertheless, there was a notable alignment between students’ collaborative learning preferences and teachers’ facilitative instructional approaches. Learner-centered approaches, particularly those emphasizing facilitation, collaboration, and active participation, are well matched with students’ preferred learning styles and may therefore promote greater classroom engagement, critical thinking, and meaningful knowledge construction. The persistence of teacher-directed clusters indicates that structured instruction remains valuable, particularly for students who benefit from explicit guidance, clear expectations, and systematic content delivery. The results emphasized the importance of maintaining flexible, learner-centered teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learning preferences and enhance classroom engagement..