The Relationship between Students' Perceptual Learning Style Preferences and their Willingness to Communicate across Gender(The Case of Biology Students)

Due to the growing emphasis of learner-centered pedagogical setting on individual differences, willingness to communicate (WTC) can be regarded as a part of individual differences that has attained a lot of attention in recent years. Thus, the present study investigated the relationship between EFL learners' learning style preferences (PLSP) and their WTC across gender. To this end, the number of 100 ESP (English for Specific Purposes) students (39 males and 61 females) studying biology in Farhangiyan University, Iran, participated in the study. The modified version of MacIntyre, Baker, Clement, and Conrod's (2001) WTC Questionnaire and also Reid's (1987) PLSP Questionnaire were administered to the participants. The collected data was analyzed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient test and Independent samples t-test. Based on the findings of the present study, it was revealed that there was a significant relationship between EFL learners' visual learning style, group learning style, and kinaesthetic learning style preferences and WTC. On the other hand, it was shown that there was not any significant relationship between learners' tactile learning style, auditory learning style, and individual learning style preferences and WTC. Moreover, it was found that gender does not make any significant difference on PLSP of learners and their WTC.

Keywords:

EFL/ESP learners , Perceptual learning style preference , Willingness to communicate