Understanding Student Learning Preferences and Engagement in Digital Islamic Education: A VARK Model Approach
Main Article Content
Abstract
Research Problem: The rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed Islamic education by enabling more adaptive, flexible, and student-centered learning environments. In higher education, understanding students’ learning preferences has become increasingly important for supporting effective digital learning practices and accommodating diverse ways of processing information.
Research Purposes: This study aims to examine postgraduate students’ learning preferences based on the VARK model and their relationship with perceived learning effectiveness in digital Islamic education contexts.
Research Methods: A quantitative correlational research design was employed involving 30 postgraduate students from the School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire adapted from the VARK learning preference framework and analyzed using Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation with SPSS.
Results and Discussion: The findings reveal that all four VARK modalities (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic) demonstrate significant positive relationships with students’ perceived learning effectiveness in digital Islamic education. Among these modalities, Visual and Kinesthetic preferences show stronger associations, indicating the critical role of multimedia resources and interactive learning activities in supporting digital learning experiences.
Research Implications and Contributions: This study contributes to the growing literature on personalized and multimodal learning by providing empirical evidence from a postgraduate Islamic education setting. The findings highlight the necessity of accommodating learner diversity when designing inclusive digital learning environments that integrate technological innovation with Islamic educational values, concluding that multimodal instructional designs foster more responsive and effective pedagogical practices.
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