Learning Styles, Academic Achievement, Confidence, and Educational Environment in Sports Science Students

September 7, 2026 updated by: Görkem Açar, Istanbul Gelisim University

Relationship Between Learning Styles, Academic Achievement, Academic Confidence, and Educational Environment Perception Among Undergraduate Sports Science Students

This observational, cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationships between learning styles, academic achievement, academic confidence, and perceptions of the educational environment among undergraduate sports science students. The study also examined whether academic achievement, academic confidence, and perceptions of the educational environment differed according to students' learning style preferences.

Undergraduate students enrolled in sports science programs at multiple higher education institutions in Turkey participated in the study. Participants completed a one-time online survey including demographic and academic information, the Kolb Learning Style Inventory III, an academic confidence questionnaire, and the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Academic achievement was assessed using self-reported grade point average categories.

No intervention, treatment, laboratory procedure, biological sampling, or invasive assessment was performed. The collected data were analyzed to examine associations among learning styles, academic achievement, academic confidence, and perceptions of the educational environment. Statistical and machine-learning methods were also used to explore predictors of academic achievement.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

265

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34310
        • Istanbul Gelisim University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in sports science programs at multiple higher education institutions in Türkiye. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older and voluntarily completed a one-time online survey. Students from different academic years and sports science departments were included. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Currently enrolled as an undergraduate student in a sports science-related program.
  • Able to read and understand Turkish.
  • Willing to participate voluntarily and provide electronic informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Failure to provide electronic informed consent.
  • Incomplete or internally inconsistent questionnaire responses.
  • Duplicate survey submissions.
  • Missing or invalid information regarding the participant's institution.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Undergraduate Sports Science Students
Undergraduate sports science students aged 18 years or older who voluntarily participated in the cross-sectional study. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographic and academic characteristics, learning styles, academic confidence, and perceptions of the educational environment. All participants were evaluated at a single time point, and no intervention or longitudinal follow-up was performed.
Other: Questionnaire-Based Assessment
Participants completed a one-time online questionnaire-based assessment including demographic and academic information, the Kolb Learning Style Inventory III, an academic confidence questionnaire, and the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Academic achievement was assessed using self-reported grade point average categories. These instruments were used solely for observational assessment purposes. No therapeutic, behavioral, pharmacological, device-based, or invasive intervention was administered, and participants were not assigned to any intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Academic Achievement
Time Frame: Day 1
Academic achievement was assessed using participants' self-reported grade point average (GPA). GPA was recorded as an ordinal variable using five categories: 0.00-1.99, 2.00-2.49, 2.50-2.99, 3.00-3.49, and 3.50-4.00. Higher GPA categories indicate higher academic achievement.
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Learning Style Assessed Using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory III
Time Frame: Day 1
Learning style was assessed using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory III. The inventory consists of 12 items in which participants rank four response options. Scores are obtained for four learning modes: Concrete Experience (CE), Reflective Observation (RO), Abstract Conceptualization (AC), and Active Experimentation (AE). Based on the inventory scoring procedure, participants were classified into one of four learning styles: Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, or Accommodating.
Day 1
Academic Confidence Assessed Using a 12-Item Academic Confidence Questionnaire
Time Frame: Day 1
Academic confidence was assessed using a 12-item self-report questionnaire. Each item was rated on a 7-point response scale. Items 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 were reverse-scored. Item responses were used to derive an academic confidence score, with higher scores indicating greater academic confidence.
Day 1
Perception of the Educational Environment Assessed Using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)
Time Frame: Day 1
Perception of the educational environment was assessed using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). The instrument consists of 50 items rated from 0 to 4 and provides a total score ranging from 0 to 200. Higher total scores indicate a more positive perception of the educational environment.
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul Gelisim University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 13, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

August 13, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 7, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 7, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • LS-SSE-2026-01

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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