İdentifying learning styles of students attending the 5th and 6th grade of elementary education and its relation with academic success (example of Malatya and Elazığ provinces)

This research was carried out on 930 girls and 932 boys attending the fifth and sixth grades in 13 and 14 elementary schools in Malatya and Elazığ, respectively, during the education year 2008-2009. Aim of this research is to determine the relationship between learning style of the students attending the fifth and sixth grades in elementary education with academic success. The model used for the research is relational scanning. Research sample was selected by means of unbiased grouping. Reliability of the study was checked by Kanadlı and Summak by using the `?Kolb Learning Style Inventory? and the 17-item ?Personal Information Form? developed by the researcher in order to identify learning styles of the students in the research. Weighted year-end average grades of the participants were obtained from the e-School Management Information System to determine academic success of the students. Multiple regression analysis was applied to identify whether learning styles are important items explaining the academic success level, chi-square analysis was used to determine whether there is a significant difference between students? learning styles in terms of academic success, and finally t-test and variance analysis was applied to identify a significant relation between students? learning styles and their demographic and socio-cultural features. As a result of the research; it was seen that specific learning styles became decisive in majority of the students? `excellent and good? grades. While a significant relation was found between demographic and socio-cultural features such as sex, father, occupation, parents? education level, income level, studying hours, schedule, number of studying siblings, studying room, computer, kindergarten, place of birth and average scale points regarding students? learning styles, such a significant relation was not found between teacher, homework assistance, transportation, interest in care and average scale points regarding students? learning styles.Key Words: Learning, Memory, Learning Style, Learning Style, Academic Success.