Putri, Rika. (2024). The Correlation Between Eighth-Grade Students’ Learning Styles and Reading Comprehension at SMPN 26 Banjarmasin. Sarjana’s Thesis, English Language Education Program Study, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Lambung Mangkurat University, Banjarmasin.Advisors: (1) Dr. Cayandrawati Sutiono, M.A. (2) Fahmi Hidayat, M.Pd

Keyword: Correlation, Learning Styles, Reading Comprehension

In learning English, reading is the initial skill students need to learn. By reading, students can increase their knowledge of certain subjects. It allows students to acquire a lot of vocabulary, which they can use in various language skills. Reading is essential not only for students to be able to read, but also to comprehend what they read. Each student has their preferred learning style that helps them fully grasp the information provided during their learning process. In the process of reading, students might use one of the learning styles such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, which can influence their reading comprehension. Several studies have been conducted on learning styles and reading comprehension. However, some studies failed to prove that there was a relationship between the two variables. Therefore, the researcher was interested in determining if there was a correlation between students' learning styles and their reading comprehension in junior high school students, especially in the eighth grade.

As mentioned, this study focused on eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 26 Banjarmasin. The researcher used cluster random sampling with a total sample of 91 students. The approach of this research was quantitative with a correlation technique. Hypothesis testing was conducted using the Pearson Product Moment correlation through SPSS 25.0. The instruments used were questionnaires and reading comprehension tests. The questionnaire was used to identify students' preferred learning styles, and the test was used to measure students' reading comprehension.

The result showed -0.550, indicating a moderately negative correlation between visual learning styles and reading comprehension. In contrast, there was 0.307, indicating a low positive correlation between auditory learning styles and reading comprehension. Similarly, the correlation between kinesthetic learning styles and reading comprehension showed 0.048, which indicates positive but very low. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted, stating there was a correlation between visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles and reading comprehension of the eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 26 Banjarmasin. This study suggests future research investigating effective learning strategies or methods across different learning styles.