A.

Background

It has been coming to my mind about defining my own learning style to

help me find effective way to learn. People differ by their own thoughts, thus,

every individual has different way of thinking and doing things, inevitably in the

way they learn.

After defining my own learning style, it will be then easier to decide what

I need to do, what I need to find, and what I need to use to help me learn English.

Defining learning style involves what an individual likes to do when it comes to

study time. It needs to be observed by recalling or reminding what I like to do

ever since when I was a kid, for it is something that I can use as clues to decide

my learning style.

Children are individuals with big curiosity within their heads, thus, they

always want to try and figure out things which are new to them. Children have

more questions toward everything, what it is, why it is like that, how something

works, and other questions may come up when they find something new. In 1999

I was a kid with big curiosity towards video clips I used to watch accidentally

which were played by my siblings when they had spare time. The video clips

were songs from Irish boy band, Westlife, which attracted my attention by their

easy-listening songs. The video clips invited my curiosity to watch them longer

than I should. From that moment, watching, listening, and imitating to what the

boy band was singing became my new hobby.

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 Curiosity has good impact to our brain, so we learn best when we are

curious about the answer of a question. As conducted before, a research by

Neuron, (2014, as cited in Cell Press, 2014, p. 2) The more curious we are about

a topic, the more easier it is to learn information about that topic, and when

curiosity motivated learning, there was increased activity in the hippocampus, a

brain region that is important for forming new memories. By the help of my

own curiosity towards songs from Irish boyband I paid my attention to the video

clips of each song, I was curious about both, what language they spoke, and what

they talked about.

There are many ways in finding what my learning style is, and one of

them is by using Kolbs theory about Learning Style which discusses about the

four models in learning, Accommodator, Assimilator, Converger, and Diverger.

Based on the previous study (2015, as cited in Buyukyavuz, Tekin, Inal, 2012, p.

52), it discussed about finding students preferred learning style of Turkish EFL

Teacher Trainees, they observed to what the students prefer to learn and the result

was the students have different ways in learning, and they learned best at their

own ways. The other previous study by Gilakjani, (2012, as cited in Gilakjani,

2012, p. 104) discussed about deciding whether over 100 students are visual,

auditory, or kinaesthetic learners and their impact on English language teaching.

The two studies seem to have serious concern on figuring out self learning style,

and it is even more serious to recognize ours first. Based on the previous

explanation it is important to investigate every individuals learning style in order

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 to help them find appropriate technique in learning, and the purpose of this

research is to investigate my own learning style, and to define the weaknesses

along with the strengths of the investigated style.

B. Formulation of The Problem

This study fills the gap in the space where the previous studies discussed

about defining learning style of other people by using different questionnaires. I

prefer to use Kolbs model for it has the indicator that shows my strengths and

weaknesses in learning, thus I formulate these two research questions to be

discussed in the further discussion :

1. What kind of learning style am I ?

2. Why am I that kind of learning style ?

C. Operational Definitions

To avoid misunderstanding, here are the operational definitions of each

keyword constructed from what I have read :

1. Learning style : it is a method in learning that an individual uses to make the

learning process more comfortable for them to achieve the expected material

easily.

2. Video clips : it is a short clip of a video that combines sight and sound, usually

with song telling what the songs talk about.

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 3. Experience : it is something we have felt, and we have been through that gives

meaning to the present life.

D. Aims of the Research

The aim of this research is to find out self learning style in order to find

effective way or technique in learning something that can be used by all

learners or tutors. I can be classified as certain learning style because I own

characteristics from one of learning style types seen from the result of analyzed

data in the further discussion. One reason is when someone does not use

effective and approriate way in learning, it will cause different result from

studying.

E. Uses of the Research

One of the most significant issues in learning to learn is an individuals

taking the responsibility for his or her own learning. The individuals should

know what their own learning styles are and they should behave according to

the investigated style. Learning style is important for many reasons, therefore,

peoples learning styles will vary because everyone is different from one

another naturally. The research contributes in stages, theoretically expand on a

lexical approach to investigating self learning style, and practically provide the

reader about how to define self learning style seen from the use of video clips

as a tool in inviting curiosity to learn more about English.

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F. Theoretical Background

1. Theoretical Studies

a. Defining Self Learning Style

Learning style refers to An individuals natural, habitual, and

preferred ways of absorbing, processing, and retaining new

information and skills. (1995, as cited in Dornyei, 2005, p. 121).

Everyone has dissimilar style in learning something. One cannot be

compared to another since humans were created by their own

abilities. It then talks about in which way people prefer to learn

something by their own way. One can be successful in every style

position only in a different way. Thus, ideally, the concept of learning

styles offers a value neutral approach for understanding individual

differences among linguistically and culturally diverse students

(1995, as cited in Dornyei, 2005, p. 122).

Talking about styles and strategies, they have different meanings.

Styles operate without individual awareness, whereas strategies

involve a conscious choice of alternatives. (2001, as cited in

Dornyei, 2005, p. 122).

1) Kinds of Kolbs Learning Style

There are four kinds of learning styles by Kolb which can

be seen as our types. Kolbs learning style construct is based on the

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two main dimensions, concrete vs abstract thinking, and active vs

reflective information processing.

An orientation toward concrete thinking focuses on being

involved in experiences and dealing with immediate human
situations in a personal way, emphasizing feeling as opposed
to thinking. An orientation toward abstract conceptualization
focuses on using logic, ideas, and concepts, emphasizing
thinking as opposed to feeling. An orientation toward active
experimentation focuses on actively influencing people and
changing situations; it emphasizes practical applications as
opposed to reflective understanding. An orientation toward
reflective observation focuses on understanding the meaning
of ideas and situations by carefully observing and impartially
describing them; it emphasizes understanding as opposed to
practical application.
(1984, as cited in Dornyei, 2005, p. 129)

Based on the combination of the two dimensions, here are

the four Kolbs Learning Styles (2000, as cited in Lund, 2004, p.

62):

a) The converging style (abstract, active) relies primarily on

abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation; is good

at problem solving, decision making and the practical

application of ideas; does best in situations like conventional

intelligence tests; is controlled in the expression of emotion

and prefers dealing with technical problems rather than

interpersonal issues. They are also abstract thinkers who

generate ideas and theories.

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b) The diverging style (concrete, reflective) emphasises

concrete experience and reflective observation; is imaginative

and aware of meanings and values; views concrete situations

from many perspectives; adapts by observation rather than by

action; interested in people and tends to be feeling-oriented.

The divergers prefer concrete situation, they are also

interested in other people and are fairly emotional in their

dealings with them. They have broad cultural interests and

often specialize in the arts. In classroom situations they prefer

to work in groups.

c) The assimilating style (abstract, reflective) prefers

abstract conceptualisation and reflective observation; is more

concerned with ideas and abstract concepts than with people;

thinks it more important that ideas be logically sound than

practical. They are less interested in people, and find it more

important that a theory has logical soundness than practical

value.

d) The accommodating style (concrete, active) emphasises

concrete experience and active experimentation; likes doing

things, carrying out plans and getting involved in new

experiences; good at adapting to changing circumstances;

solves problems in an intuitive, at ease with people but

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 sometimes seen as impatient and pushy. Accommodators are

the most hands-on learners, and they are stimulated by

challenging experiences even to the extent of taking risks.

b. Why Video Clip?

As a kid, I was the same as other kids whose curiosity was big

enough to figure out things. Curiosity or intrinsic motivation is a

gift, a capacity of pleasure in knowing (1819, as cited in Litman,

2005, p. 1). It may be defined as a desire to know, to see, or to

experience that motivates exploratory behavior directed towards the

acquisition of new information (1949, as cited in Litman, 2005, p. 1).

It is also described as in terms of positive affectivity, and acquiring

knowledge when ones curiosity has been aroused is considered

intrinsically rewarding and highly pleasurable (1971, as cited in

Litman, 2005, p. 1). By having curiosity toward something, it may

push me to find out more about what I am being in to. Curiosity was

the one which invited the desire to learn and know about English

more as it was something new, and it catched my attention.

Video is a moving picture that shows the activity of the people

or subject being watched on the screen. We may see a motion

picture that is silent, or one that combines sight and sound (1946, as

cited in Dale, 1946, p. 44). Video is not only about what I watch but

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 also about what I hear because video provides both audio and visual.

Video clip is a short clip of a video, its commonly about video song,

so I hear it, and I watch the motion picture that describes the feelings

from the song.

Children are growing up in a world continuously overwhelmed

by visual stimuli coming from devices such as television, videos and,

more recently, computers. It is not surprising then, that educational

environments increasingly rely on visual media to improve learning.

Video technology also helps bridge the gap between the school's

artificial environment and the outside world, bringing reality into

the classroom (1999, as cited in Jurich, 1999, p. 41). In other words,

by watching video we are able to see the other world away from us.

Multimedia technology has been exploited often for improving

teaching and learning. Videos are a tool for engaging the verbal

(linguistic), visual (spatial), and musical (rhythmic) intelligence of

the student in the learning process, especially in the self-learning

process by Gardner (2000, as cited in Vaskovic, 2014, p. 277).

2. Study of Relevant Research

This research is relevant with two earlier studies conducted by some

previous researchers, Gilakjani, entitled, Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic

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 Learning Styles and Their Impacts on English Language Teaching. In his

study, he argues that,

One of the most important uses of learning styles is that it

makes it easy for teachers to incorporate them into their
teaching. Visual learners learn visually by means of charts,
graphs, and pictures. Auditory learners learn by listening to
lectures and reading. Kinaesthetic learners learn by doing.
The purpose of this study is to increase faculty awareness and
understanding of the effect of learning styles on the teaching
process.

It is clearly said that learning styles can give effect to how students learn,

so it is important to recognize our own learning styles. Tekin, Buyukyavuz,

and Inal, entitled, A Study on Preferred Learning Styles of Turkish EFL

Teacher Trainees. In their study, they argue that,

Since people have different ways of perception, levels of

motivation, and attitudes towards teaching and learning, they
consistently differ from each other in their preferences of
learning and acquiring knowledge. Therefore, the more
instructors understand the differences, the better chance they
have of understanding and meeting the diverse learning needs
of their students.

Investigating ones learning style affects to the teaching and learning

process, and instructors need to understand to what style their students prefer

to learn.

G. Research Procedure

1. Research Method

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 When someone uses his or her story as the research approach,

narrative inquiry can be used as the research method. Talking about the

past, seeing yesterday today, and looking forward to what will occur at

the future are suitable to use narrative inquiry as the method. According

to Sartre (1964, as cited in in Webster, Mertova, 2007, p. 1) People are

always tellers of tales. They live surrounded by their stories and the

stories of others, they see everything that happens to them through that

stories and they try to live their lives as if they were recounting them.

Narrative records human experience through the construction and

reconstruction of personal stories; it is well suited to addressing issues of

complexity and cultural and human centredness because of its capacity to

record and retell those events that have been of most influence on us

(2007, as cited in Webster, Mertova, 2007, p. 3). The other same opinion

is Narrative inquiry is based firmly in the premise that, as human beings,

we come to understand and give meaning to our lives through story

Andrews & Tambokou (2008, as cited in Trahar, 2009, p. 2). Stories help

us transform the present and shape the future for our students and

ourselves so that it will be richer or better than the past (1994, as cited in

Webster, Mertova, 2007, p. 2).

2. Techniques of Collecting the Data

a. Autobiographical writing

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 Collecting data that can help me is storytelling where I write down

my life story which then will be analyzed to figure out what learning style

that suits to my technique in learning English. I am going to write the

story of my own about the very first time I watched the video clips.

b. Interview

Interview is one of data collection that I can use in collecting

information needed to complete my research. Another data collection

tool in narrative inquiry is the unstructerd interview (1990, as cited in

Clandinin, Connelly, 1990, p. 5). I am going to interview my sister and

brother who were the ones that invited my curiosity towards video clips.

The form of interview will be unstructured interview where the

interviewees will be in a situation as if they are having ordinary

conversation telling the story of my childhood. Unstructured interactive

interviews are shared experiences in which researchers and interviewees

come together to create a context of conversational intimacy in which

participants feel comfortable telling their story (1989, as cited in Corbin,

2003, p. 338).

c. Questionnaire

I will have the questionnaire done by myself, thus, I am going to

use Kolbs model in learning style. He provided a questionnaire along

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 with the formula to count the result of the questionnaire. The

questionnaire consists of nine sets of phrases that I can choose to describe

myself. (see enclosure 2).

3. Participant

Since the study is in the form of autobiography, the participant of

this research is myself as the writer. I recall my life story from the very

beginning I noticed what English language was, furthermore, from that

question came up the curiosity to dig deeper about English.

I was a student of Pakemitan 1 Elementary School whose favorite

subject was English. I always wanted to get the best score until one day

my teacher asked me to join a competition called Story Telling

Competition at subdistrict level, and I stood at the first place. The

achievement continued when I studied at Ciawi 1 Junior High School. I

got the first place at a competition held at Al-Muttaqin High School, Java

Student Competition. The achievement was successfully repeated at

Rajapolah Vocational School where I stood at the second place for an

English Debating Competition. In my 22 years old I am now studying at

English EducationDepartment Siliwangi University following my interest

into English.

4. Steps of The Research

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 In conducting the research, these steps are what I am going to do

based on Widodo (2013, as cited in Widodo, 2013, p. 1) :

a. Framing and positioning a research project topic

b. Formulating good research questions and purpose statements

c. Writing up research rationale or background, context, operational

definitions of key terms, and contributions or significance

d. Developing and presenting a literature review

e. Choosing and presenting research methodology

f. Managing, analyzing, and interpreting empirical data and reporting

findings

g. Drawing sound conclusions and spelling out actionable

recommendations and limitations of the study.

5. Technique of Analyzing the Data

Every single sentence of my life story will be analysed by using

preliminary jotting as a part of mechanics of coding. Liamputtong and

Ezzy (2005, as cited in Saldana, 2009, p. 17) recommend formatting

pages in data in to three columns rather than two. The first and widest

column contains the data themselves, interview transcripts, field notes,

etc. The second column contains space for preliminary code notes and

jottings, while the third column lists the final codes. (see enclosure 1).

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 Saldana, (2009, as cited in Saldana, p. 3) A code in qualitative

inquiry is more often a word or short phrase that symbolically assigns a

summative, salient, essence-capturing, and or evocative attribute for a

portion of language-based or visual data.

The result of the interview will later be identified by using coding

from Saldana (2009) the same way as analyzing autobiographical writing

data, thus, any words that represents my interest in learning will be other

supportive data.

6. Time of The Research

This research has been conducted from the first meeting of

consulting to choose the phenomenon, title, and until the conclusion is

found. It took months to conduct this research, from November 2015 to

May 2016.