LEARNING STYLES AND PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY: A DESCRIPTIVE CORRELATIONAL STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS OF SHIMLA

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between problem-solving ability and learning styles of secondary school students. A descriptive correlational research design was employed for the study. The sample of 100 secondary school students selected through random sampling from government schools of Shimla district. Data were collected using a Problem-Solving Ability Test and a Learning Style Inventory. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data, and t-test and Pearson’s product-moment correlation were employed to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed a significant difference in problem-solving ability between secondary school boys and girls, whereas no significant difference was found in their learning styles. Further, the results indicated that there was no significant relationship between problem-solving ability and learning styles of secondary school boys as well as girls. The study highlights the importance of recognising individual differences in students’ problem-solving abilities and adopting suitable instructional strategies that address diverse learning styles.