Abstract:
This quantitative descriptive study was designed with the aim of investigating the learning style
preferences of EFL students and teaching style preferences of EFL teachers in the classroom at Shoa
Robit Secondary Preparatory School. The participants of the study were 200 grade 9 and 11 students
who were randomly selected from eleven sections using stratified random sampling techniques and the
6 teachers who are taught in grade 9 and 11. Among the 200 participants, 92 were females and 108
were males. This study looks specifically at the effect of age and sex on learning style preferences of the
participant students. Finally, this study examined the match/mismatch between the students’ and
teachers’ style preferences. Questionnaires and classroom observation were employed in order to
generate the required data from the aforementioned research participants. Descriptive statistics,
ANOVA, Tukey test, and T-test were used to analyze the data. The results from the descriptive statistics
show that the participant student generally favor group, tactile-kinesthetic and visual learning styles
as their major preferences; and auditory, and individual learning style categories as their minor and
weak preferences respectively. The ANOVA and Tukey test results show statistically significant mean
differences between the different learning styles categories. No difference in learning style preferences
according to the ages of the students was found; the t-test results for sex difference indicate
statistically significant differences between male and female students in the area of tactile-kinesthetic
learning styles at t=(2.043) df=198 P=(0.042). As for the match and mismatch, both match and
mismatch was observed between students and teachers. For instance, for visual and auditory styles,
match was observed. And for tactile-kinesthetic, group, and individual styles mismatch was observed
based on the classroom observation and the descriptive statistic results. Finally, in line with the findings
recommendation, like teachers should make effort to teach in a way which matches the students’
preferred learning style and others were forwarded.