Linking Learning Modalities for Higher Order Reading in an Inclusive Higher Education: Insights from First Year AB English Language Students in the Philippines

Abstract

Within the framework of inclusive education, reading comprehension is foundational for language learning and broader academic success, yet Filipino AB English students frequently struggle to develop the critical reading competencies required for 21st-century skills.

This study examined the levels of learning styles (visual, auditory, tactile-kinesthetic) and reading comprehension (literal, inferential, evaluative), investigated their relationship, and explored students' insights into how these preferences shape their reading process. This investigation employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, utilizing standardized inventories to collect data from a sample of 75 first-year AB English students. Key analytic procedures included descriptive statistics and Pearson r for the quantitative phase, followed by thematic analysis of interview transcripts to contextualize the statistical patterns.

Quantitative results identified visual learning style as the highest modality and tactile-kinesthetic as the lowest, while literal and evaluative reading represented the highest and lowest comprehension levels respectively. Significant correlations emerged between auditory and tactile-kinesthetic learning styles and inferential reading comprehension. Additionally, main qualitative themes highlighted students' visual/auditory strategies during academic reading, a persistent dictionary use to decode terms, and a strong reliance on pictures and context clues to construct meaning.

These findings directly inform language education practice by highlighting the necessity of diagnostic assessment of learning styles and reading comprehension to identify student needs. Consequently, language educators should design multimodal materials and integrate differentiated instruction to scaffold the transition from literal reading to higher-order comprehension.