COMPARING LEARNING AND TEACHING STYLES IN PHYSICS CLASSES AT TWO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE

Abstract

The persistence of difficulties in learning natural sciences is a longstanding reality. Various strategies have been implemented in physics education to mitigate the abstraction in understanding concepts, describing phenomena, and interpreting laws. However, each student has a unique way of assimilating the content presented in class, just as each teacher has specific preferences in lesson administration. Often, teaching and learning styles do not empirically align. In this study, the aim was to comprehend the diverse preferences of students for learning the information conveyed in the classroom. The results provide valuable insights for the development of lesson plans, considering the individual needs of students. The focus is on learning styles VAK (Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic), identified by research in neuropsychology, which rely on sensory channels such as vision, hearing, touch, and movement. Visual learners preferentially assimilate information through visual stimuli, while auditory learners excel with auditory stimuli. On the other hand, kinesthetic learners thrive through hands-on experiences. This study inferred the predominant VAK style among students from two Mozambican secondary schools, considering variables such as gender, teaching strategies adopted in physics classes, and interest in the subject. The research involved a sample of 159 students from 8th to 12th grade, aged between 12 and 20 years, comprising 87 males and 72 females. It was found that the majority of students exhibit a preference for a hands-on learning style (kinesthetic), while classes were identified as predominantly auditory, based on content exposition and note dictation.