1.1. Background

Educational system is an essential factor for promoting educational quality. Evaluation of the important educational aspects is a basis for evaluating educational institutes (Leenaars & Laster, 2006, p. 1). Educational achievement evaluation can be considered as one of the most important educational evaluations. Continuous evaluation of the students’ educational achievement during their academic period and examining its effective factors is one of the critical and inevitable bases of educational system improvement especially in the universities. The result of educational system can be identified from students performance or academic achievement.

According to Oommen (2015, p. 19818), academic achievement is considered as key to judge one’s potentialities and capabilities. It is based on the number of factors, such as children’s attitudes, interest, personality characteristics and social class in addition to learning. Furthermore, Lawrence and Vimala (2012, p. 211) define academic achievement is a measure of knowledge gained in formal education usually indicated by test scores, grade, grade points, average and degrees. Also, academic achievement is defined as the specified level of attainment of proficiency in academic work designed by test scores (Shamshudin, Reddy & Rao, 2007, p. 26). It can be concluded that academic achievement is the main parameter that present students’

performance as the result of learning process which become main consideration in competing with other workers.

In gaining brighter future to get a good job, academic achievement holds the important role because it prepares students for future careers. It also allows students to enter competitive fields. Furthermore, academic achievement is often a sign of a refined intellect, which can help students in all areas of their lives. The highest level of educations indicates that people have a good academic achievement In order to win the competition and get a good job. Also, Meenudev (2016, p. 70) argues that academic achievement of learners has attracted attention of scholars, parents, policy makers and planners. The students’ performance (academic achievement) plays an important role in producing the best quality graduates who will become great leader and man power for the country thus responsible for the country’s economic and social development (Ali, 2009, p. 12).

Prasetyo (2013, p. 1) reports that academic achievement in Indonesia was low. United Nations for Development Programme (UNDP) announced the results of the study of human qualities simultaneously around the world through a report titled Human Development Report 2004. In this annual report Indonesia only occupy 111^th position out of 177 countries. Therefore, this academic achievement should be obtained from younger years. Graduating from high school allows students to earn far more, and many employers only hire those who graduated. As a result, academic achievement helps students avoid poverty. College education provides, even more benefits and employers are increasingly looking for employees with college degrees even in unrelated fields.

In terms of academic achievement, there are several factors associated with students’ academic performance in higher education. Farooq and Berhanu (2011, p. 1)

explain the inside and outside school factors that affect students’ quality of academic achievement. Moreover, Crosnoe, Johnson and Elder (2004, p. 23) state that these factors may be termed as student factors, family factors, school factors and peer factors. Furthermore, one of those aspects in students factors is learning style. It is supported by Warn (2009, p. 3) who states that learning style is one of the predictor of academic achievement, for study performed. In short, learning style has the essential role in students academic performance.

Active learning, in its most widely used definition, is “encouraging students to do something and think about what they do” (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). Active learning according to Shariff (2012); means that students actively participate in classroom activities throughout the lesson, rather than passively following the teacher who teaches the lesson. According to Jarvis (2005), it is a method for learners to participate actively in the learning process. According to Greene (2011), it is learning by doing, based on first-hand experiences. According to Kalem and Fer (2003), the learning method involves drawing the learners into the learning process and removing them from a dormant state. Gordon and Lawton (2005) on active learning; define it as learning that encourages a student to do more than take information from a teacher or a textbook, to memorize and reproduce information. Lohithakshan (2002) expresses it as learning based on student activity with minimal teacher intervention. Active learning is based on the constructivist learning theory, which states that learners actively create their own knowledge rather than passively absorb information from the environment (Cambridge International Examinations, 2015; Liu & Chen, 2010). Constructivism is a theory of meaning making and learning. As active learning changed the learning conception, some changes occurred in the traditional roles of teachers and students. The role of the teacher in a student-centered learning environment based on active learning has changed in terms of facilitating, guiding, and supporting learning, not directing decisions about the learning process (Mills, 2006). The teacher has now come out of the traditional “teacher” role and becomes the “facilitator of learning” (Broad, Matthews, & McDonald, 2004; Ishii, 2017). The role of students in the active learning process has changed from being passive receptors to being direct participants of the learning process (Aşiroğlu, 2014; Eugéne, 2006). In the traditional understanding of education, the student who receives the information readily discovers it by researching and derives new meanings from it (Güney, 2011; Ünal, 2004). active learning. Project-based learning and peer code reviews are part of active learning: students must actively participate, participate and respond. This is different from passive learning such as lectures, presentations or watching online videos. Active learning requires students to analyze, evaluate and create. The majority of our curriculum consists mainly of projects with a problem of “building a solution for XYZ”.

When students research, analyze, create, test and correct, their involvement goes through the roof compared to passive learning and the retention rate is close to 90% (compared to passive learning at 5-10%). When these definitions are examined, it is seen that the main element that stands out is the active participation of students in the learning process because the essence of active learning is to present information with first-hand evidence and activities, rather than transferring it. Students also build on their own experiences, ask questions, develop hypotheses, and try to develop their own structures and understanding by testing them in an open, collaborative context (Herne, 2001). The creation and development of mental structures are also achieved through active participation. This means being active not only physically but also mentally. Through the mental activity, prior knowledge is expanded, improved, and shaped (Jessel, 2001). Today, studies in the field of cognitive psychology also show that active participation enables deeper levels of information processing and learning because it creates stronger connections (McGlynn, 2005). Considering all these, active participation of learners is deemed necessary for all kinds of learning to take place (Monk & Silman, 2013).

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Students exhibit diverse learning styles that influence how they absorb, process, and retain information, which can significantly impact their academic performance. In the Buea Municipality, like in many educational settings, the one-size-fits-all approach to teaching often overlooks these variations, potentially disadvantaging students whose learning preferences are not addressed. Previous research has shown that aligning teaching strategies with students’ learning styles can enhance their academic outcomes (Felder & Silverman, 1988). However, limited studies in the Cameroonian context, particularly in Buea, have explored the extent to which learning styles correlate with academic performance. Understanding this relationship is crucial for educators and policymakers to design interventions that cater to diverse learners, fostering improved educational outcomes. This study seeks to fill this gap by assessing the relationship between learning styles and academic performance among students in Buea Municipality, providing insights into how tailored instructional strategies can support students’ success.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on the background, the research problems are formulated in the following questions:

1. Is there any significant correlation between each active learning strategy and academic achievement?
2. Does each active learning strategy significantly influence academic achievement?

The Objectives of the Study

In accordance with the problems above, the objectives of this study are:

3. To find out whether or not there is significant correlation between active learning strategy and academic achievement.
4. To know if active learning strategy significantly influences their academic achievement