A Comparative Study of Vocational High School Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Trigonometric Ratios Based on VARK Learning Styles

Abstract

Students’ conceptual understanding in mathematics is essential for connecting mathematical concepts and applying them to solve problems. However, students may demonstrate different characteristics in learning and processing information based on their learning preferences. Examining the relationship between learning styles and conceptual understanding is important to determine whether differences in students’ learning preferences are reflected in their mathematical understanding. Such evidence is needed to guide teachers in making informed instructional decisions rather than relying on assumptions about learning style categories. Examining this relationship in trigonometric learning is particularly relevant because the abstract nature of trigonometric ratios requires students to connect representation, procedures, and mathematical meanings. This study aimed to describe the conceptual understanding of vocational high school students on trigonometric ratios based on VARK learning styles and to determine whether there were significant differences in conceptual understanding among VARK learning style groups. This study employed a quantitative comparative approach. A saturated sampling technique was used, yielding a sample of 103 eleventh-grade students from a vocational high school in Kediri Regency. Data were collected using a conceptual understanding test and a VARK learning style questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics based on conceptual understanding indicators and the Kruskal–Wallis test to examine differences among learning style groups. The results showed variations in the mean conceptual understanding scores among VARK groups. The Read/write–Kinesthetic group obtained the highest mean score of 53.75, while the Visual–Auditory–Kinesthetic group obtained the lowest mean score of 40.50. Analysis by indicator also revealed variations in students’ performance across learning style groups. However, the Kruskal–Wallis test showed no significant difference in students’ conceptual understanding based on VARK learning styles (p = 0.781 > 0.05). These findings indicate that variations in VARK learning styles were not accompanied by statistically significant differences in conceptual understanding of trigonometric ratios. The findings may encourage teachers to avoid relying solely on learning style categories when designing mathematics instruction.