Categorizing polytechnic engineering learning activities based on students learning style

Learning style is expressed as the way a learner approaches a process of learning and how he accrues the content of learning. This normally involves interactions between teachers, students and teaching materials. Knowing appropriate students’ learning style can improve students’ performance and increase student involvement in teaching and learning. A case study was conducted involving 30 first year students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in an AutoCAD course at Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Polytechnic (POLIMAS), Kedah. An analysis was conducted on a set of questionnaire to obtain the mean value, standard deviation and percentages. Based on Honey and Mumford’s model, the findings revealed that the students’ learning style was inclined towards activist and pragmatist typology. This study provides information necessary to help in the process of deciding the suitable learning strategy to be applied to students at the polytechnic. In general, these findings help the instructor at the polytechnic to plan, prepare and apply appropriate materials for meaningful teaching and learning.