PROFIL PREFERENSI GAYA BELAJAR VARK DAN PERBEDAAN KEMAMPUAN MEMBACA BAHASA INGGRIS SISWA DI SMA NEGERI 1 PALOPO = VARK LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCE PROFILES AND DIFFERENCES IN STUDENTS’ ENGLISH READING ABILITY AT SMA NEGERI 1 PALOPO

This study aimed to identify students’ VARK learning style profiles and determine whether English reading ability differed significantly based on their VARK learning style preferences at SMA Negeri 1 Palopo. This study employed a quantitative approach with a descriptive research design. The participants were first-grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Palopo. Researchers collected data using a modified VARK questionnaire and an English reading comprehension test. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and One-Way ANOVA, followed by the Games-Howell post hoc test to identify differences between VARK groups. The results showed that students had diverse VARK learning style preferences. In the Andalas class, the auditory learning style was the most dominant, while the kinesthetic learning style was the most dominant in the Jupiter class. The analysis also revealed significant differences in English reading ability among several VARK groups, particularly between Visual and Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic, Auditory and Read/Write, and Read/Write and Kinesthetic groups. However, no significant differences were found between the Visual and Read/Write groups or between the Auditory and Kinesthetic groups. These findings indicate that students have diverse learning preferences and that differences in VARK preferences are associated with differences in English reading ability across some groups. Therefore, recognizing students’ learning preferences may help teachers design varied and inclusive English reading activities that accommodate different ways of learning.