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Table 4.9 Correlation between S
tudents’ Learning Style x
1
and English Speaking Ability x
2
Correlations
LS SA
LS Pearson Correlation
1 .484
Sig. 2-tailed .007
N 30
30 SA
Pearson Correlation .484
1 Sig. 2-tailed
.007 N
30 30
. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level 2-tailed.
Figure 4.6 shows how the tendency of scoring mostly went up and only few
of them went down. The tendency and correlation coefficient show that there is positive correlation between s
tudents’ learning style x
1
and English speaking ability x
2
. Since there is positive correlation between students’ learning style x
1
and English speaking ability x2, then h is rejected and h
1
is accepted in the hypothesis 3.
Figure 4.6 Scatter Plot of
Correlation between S tudents’ Learning Style x
1
and English Speaking Ability x
2
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4 Correlation and Hypothesis Testing between Students’ Learning Style x
1
, English Speaking Ability x
2
, and Academic Performance y
To find out the correlation between students’ learning style x
1
, English speaking ability x
2
, and academic performance y, I applied Multiple Correlation from SPSS 21. The correlation coefficient between
students’ learning style x
1
, English speaking ability x
2
, and academic performance y is shown as Table 4.10. In Table 4.10, the correlation coefficient between s
tudents’ learning style x
1
, English speaking ability x
2
, and academic performance y is 0,88 meaning positive correlation. The degree of correlation is very strong because the
value is in the interval of 0,80 – 1,00. Since there is positive correlation between
students’ learning style x
1
, English speaking ability x2, and academic performance y then h
is rejected and h
1
is accepted in the hypothesis 3.
Table 4.10 Correlation between S
tudents’ Learning Style x
1
, English Speaking Ability x
2
, and Academic Performance y
Model Summary
Model R
R Square
Adjusted R Square
Std. Error of
the Estimate
Change Statistics R Square
Change F Change
df1 df2
Sig. F Chang
e 1
.881
a
.776 .760 5.53953
.776 46.872
2 27
.000 a. Predictors: Constant, SA, LS
2. Qualitative Research Findings
To support the findings of quantitative research, I applied the findings of qualitative data from the in-depth interviews with the participants. The themes of
interviews related to participants’ lived-experience of learning which was
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formulated as learning style based on the learning indicators, English speaking, and academic performance as the research variables. As Bradley 2002 states that
lived-experience covers the past and present experiences, then the participants’
answers on the interviews were organized in order to dig up their past and present experiences as well. There were 3 three participants for the in-depth interviews
of which represented low achiever of English speaking ability score, medium achiever of English speaking ability score, and high achiever of English speaking
ability score. The low achiever was represented by AR since he got 52 for English speaking ability score. The medium achiever was represented by BA since she got
81 for her English speaking ability score. The high achiever was represented by DA since she got 86 for her English speaking ability score. The passing grade for
English lesson was 71 based on the level of students’ basic competence in English
study, the school facilities to support English study, and teacher’s competence in
English teaching. The passing grade was determined by the English teacher coordinated with the school curriculum and principle.
a. AR’s Learning Style, English Speaking Ability, and Academic
Performance
The findings of themes related to students’ learning style, English speaking
ability, and academic performance from AR is shown in Table 4.11. I took related statements to the themes of 3 research variables.
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Table 4.11 Themes and Qualitative Result of AR’
Themes Coding
Statements translated
Viewpoint of Vocational
High School I11032014P2AR-LA
I study here because my parents asked me
Viewpoint of English as a
subject I11032014P16AR-LA
I11032014P26AR-LA
… knew nothing in the past
. … know a little bit now
…English is a little bit
important.
Feeling of learning
English in class
I11032014P31AR-LA
… comfortable and happy.
Learning styles I11032014P11AR-LA
I11032014P19AR-LA I11032014P35AR-LA
The teacher explains and gives quizzes.
He does the same method for all English competence.
I keep quiet, listen, and try to imitate.
English Speaking
Ability I11032014P74AR-LA
I11032014P75AR-LA
I11032014P76AR-LA
60 sixty
… because I am not able to catch up the material yet.
… a little bit.
Expectation of Academic
Performance Scores
I11032014P83AR-LA
80 so I can complete the
passing grade and step up to
the next level. From Table 4.11, AR stated that he was asked by his parents to study in
Vocational High School. He did not have his own intention to study the practical skills in Vocational High School. It indicated that the reason why he studied in
Vocational High Scholl was to fulfill his parent s’ expectation to keep studying, as
he said ; I11032014P2AR-
LA : “I study here because my parents asked me”
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The way he viewed the Vocational High School related the way he learned English. The way he learned was passive since he preferred to listen to the
teacher’s explanation to understand the learning material. He did not have an initiative to start being active in the lesson. He preferred to have practical thinking
by telling that he liked to have quizzes before the lesson started. It indicated that he did not only want to have thorough lesson plans determined by the teacher but
also a bit competition with his friend to dig up his competence compared to his friends, as he said ;
I11032014P11AR-LA :
“…The teacher explains and gives quizzes”.
Again, since he had no special interest to study in Vocational High School, he did not try to organize various learning styles and applied the same learning
style for all subjects I11032014P19AR-LA. When he was asked in specific about his exact method of learning, he was not able to express his understanding
of the lesson he followed so that he preferred to express his capability in the lesson by himself, for example by imitating the pronunciation of speaking. He
said ; I11032014P35AR-LA
: “I keep quiet, listen, and try to imitate”.
Based on Burns 1995 which states that learning can be reflected by the behavior change of the learners or the internal process of the learners such as
thinking and emotion, AR ’s learning process tend to be internal and he did not
show any behavior change after he studied certain learning materials. For the English speaking ability, he viewed English as important lesson but
only a little bit. He just felt comfortable to study English without being able to clarify his English learning experience I11032014P31AR-LA. His past
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experience of knowing nothing about English in his past learning experience formulated his viewpoint that English was difficult lesson I11032014P16AR-
LA. his The way he viewed English as a bit important lesson with less English learning experience related to his English speaking ability, as he noted ;
I11032014P26AR-LA :
“… English is a little bit important”
He felt that he was not able to understand the learning material because of his less interest in studying English I11032014P75P76AR-LA. Bygate 1987
states that speaking ability relates to the speakers’ psychology to deliver messages in human interaction.
AR’s seemed to have less interest in English speaking
activity rather than his classmates. He was not conscious yet that language learning related to language knowledge of language acquisition as Krashen 1981
states. In this case, he did not use the language as the means of studying but merely a subject to know since he was not able to clarify why English was
important. He just felt comfortable and happy to follow the English lesson but he did not realize yet how important English to support global communication. That
was why he expected for low scores for his English ability scores realizing his English capability I11032014P74AR-LA.
For the academic performance, AR expected to have higher score compared
to his English speaking ability score in order to step up to the next grade. It was obviously seen that he had more focus in preparing his academic performance
because he realized the score of academic performance determined his next study level. He knew that the passing grade for English study was 71, therefore his
target score for the academic performance was only 80 which was near 71, as he stated ;
