Matched learning styles of teacher and student: A study of its relationship to achievement and self-esteem

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of matched teacher/student learning styles to the achievement and self-esteem of students. Using an ex post facto research design 126 fifth and sixth grade students, and six teachers of two public elementary schools of the Jefferson Parish School System in Louisiana were administered learning style inventories. Students took the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), and teachers were given an adult version, the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS). A one-to-one correspondence was set up between the first 20 elements of the LSI, and the 20 elements of the PEPS test to form matched teacher/student learning style pairs. Students were also given the Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). All inventories were administered during the third nine weeks of the 1999–2000 school year. Achievement grades for students were assigned by their respective teachers, and were collected at the end of the nine week period of study.; Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed at the .05 level of significance to analyse the data between the mean scores of the matched and mismatched groups when they were compared simultaneously on the mean achievement grade, and the mean self-esteem subscale scores of general self-esteem, social self-esteem, home/parents self-esteem, and school self-esteem. A significant MANOVA F&barbelow; was obtained. Therefore a post-hoc analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the .05 level of significance was done on each dependent variable. F&barbelow; ratios indicated significant differences between the mean scores of the matched and mismatched groups for the dependent variables of general self-esteem, social self-esteem, home/parents self-esteem, and school self-esteem. There was no significant difference, however, between the mean scores of the matched and mismatched groups for the dependent variable of achievement grade.