Impact of Learning Styles on the Development of 3Cs (Collaboration, Communication and Creativity) among University Students: The Mediating Role of Teaching Strategies and Curriculum
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/tk/v5i1.51135Keywords:
Learning Styles, Collaboration Skills, Communication Skills, Creativity Skills, Teaching Strategies, Curriculum, Higher EducationAbstract
This research article discussed the impact of learning styles on collaboration, communication, and creativity skills (3Cs) development among university students in Punjab, Pakistan, and the mediating effect of teaching strategies and curriculum and the moderating effect of university type. A mixed-methods design with predominant quantitative design was used to collect data using a structured questionnaire with 600 undergraduate and graduate students. Measurement and structural model evaluation, mediation and moderation analysis and bootstrapping were conducted by use of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and selected qualitative responses were analyzed with the aid of thematic analysis. The results showed that the collaboration, communication, and creativity skills are highly predicted by learning styles. These relationships were partly mediated by the teaching strategies and curriculum which implied the significance of instructional alignment. Dissimilarities among the public and the private universities imply the contextual impacts on the process of learning. In general, the article outlines the significance of the flexible, student-oriented instructional strategies to facilitate the impact of different learning styles and improve the 21st-century skills of graduates.
References
Adeoye, M. A., & Jimoh, H. A. (2023). Problem-solving skills among 21st-century learners toward creativity and innovation ideas. Thinking Skills and Creativity Journal, 6(1), 52-58. https://doi.org/10.23887/tscj.v6i1.62708
Amponsah, S. (2020). Exploring the dominant learning styles of adult learners in higher education. International Review of Education, 66(4), 531-550. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-020-09845-y
Bhuttah, T. M., Xusheng, Q., Abid, M. N., & Sharma, S. (2024). Enhancing student critical thinking and learning outcomes through innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education: The mediating role of inclusive leadership. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75379-0
Brent, R., Prince, M., & Felder, R. (2021). Promoting and managing student-student interactions in online STEM classes. International Journal of Engineering Education, 37(3), 797-813.
Cimermanová, I. (2018). The effect of learning styles on academic achievement in different forms of teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.11316a
Fatima, I., Aslam, A., Babar, H., Kanwal, S., & Khan, M. S. (2024). Impact of learning styles on student’s achievement. International Journal of Contemporary Issues in Social Sciences, 3(2), 1293-1307. https://ijciss.org/index.php/ijciss/article/view/831
Fatima, N., Khan, S., Miran, G., Ahmad, U., & Aijaz, S. (2025). THE IMPACT OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING ON STUDENT CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. Contemporary Journal of Social Science Review, 3(1), 130-147. https://doi.org/10.12345/e25jw244
Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To improve the academy, 11(1), 137-155. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2334-4822.1992.tb00213.x
Gafour, O. W., & Gafour, W. A. (2020). Creative thinking skills–A review article. Journal of Education and e-Learning, 4(1), 44-58.
Hizli Alkan, S., & Priestley, M. (2019). Teacher mediation of curriculum making: the role of reflexivity. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 51(5), 737–754. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2019.1637943
Hynes, S., Armstrong, C. W., Xuan, B. B., Ankamah-Yeboah, I., Simpson, K., Tinch, R., & Ressurreição, A. (2021). Have environmental preferences and willingness to pay remained stable before and during the global Covid-19 shock? Ecological Economics: The Journal of the International Society for Ecological Economics, 189(107142), 107142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107142
Kamran, F., Kanwal, A., Afzal, A., & Rafiq, S. (2023). Impact of interactive teaching methods on students learning outcomes at university level. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 7(7), 89-105.
Karataş, E., & Yalin, H. İ. (2021). The impact of matching learning-teaching styles on students’ academic achievement. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 21(94). https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2021.92.19
Kausar, D. F. N. (2025). Role of communication styles between university instructors and students in fostering a positive learning environment and enhancing academic success. The Critical Review of Social Sciences Studies, 3(3), 2522–2531. https://doi.org/10.59075/psv4y717
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 4(2), 193–212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566
Maqbool, S., Zafeer, H. M. I., Zeng, P., Maqbool, S., Draissi, Z., & Javed, S. (2024). Inventive leadership styles and their impact for achieving sustainable development goals in education at secondary schools: a case study from Multan, Pakistan. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03086-2
Norris, L. (2019). Promoting 21st century skills. British council.
Nousheen, A., & Tabassum, F. (2024). Assessing students’ sustainability consciousness in relation to their perceived teaching styles: an exploratory study in Pakistani context. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 25(6), 1214-1231. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2022-0406
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest: A Journal of the American Psychological Society, 9(3), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x
Rafiq-uz-Zaman, M. (2022). Redesign for 21st-Century Skills: Preparing Learners for a Rapidly Changing Workforce. Journal of Business Insight and Innovation, 1(2), 89–102. https://insightfuljournals.com/index.php/JBII/article/view/58
Saeed, M., Shaikh, P. D. S., & Kanwal, H. (2025). An empirical analysis of teaching styles and human resource development in context of university students of Pakistan. Social Sciences Spectrum, 4(2), 15–31. https://doi.org/10.71085/sss.04.02.254
Sarwat, S., Iftikhar, I., Sahito, J. K. M., & Shahzad, W. (2024). Impact of student engagement in language support classes through cooperative learning: A study of Pakistani educational institutions. Research Journal for Societal Issues, 6(1), 199-210. https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v
Siddiquei, N. L., & Khalid, R. (2022). The learning style preferences of e-learners in Pakistan. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 15(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijkl.2022.119916
Sultana, D. N., Iram, A., Malik, D. M., & Dur-e-Shahwar. (2025). The mediating role of metacognitive awareness in the relationship between learning styles and academic performance. The Critical Review of Social Sciences Studies, 3(2), 591–608. https://doi.org/10.59075/mwta7z91
Troussas, C., Giannakas, F., Sgouropoulou, C., & Voyiatzis, I. (2023). Collaborative activities recommendation based on students’ collaborative learning styles using ANN and WSM. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 54-67.
Urooj, S., & Farooq, M. S. (2023). Impact of students’ ubiquitous learning through web 2.0 tool on students’ 21st century skills: Creativity and communication. Research Journal of Social Sciences and Economics Review, 4(1), 125-140. https://doi.org/10.36902/sjesr-vol6-iss3-2023(29-43)
Zhang, H., Yang, J., & Liu, Z. (2024). Effect of teachers’ teaching strategies on students’ learning engagement: moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1475048. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1475048
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Copyright in the THE KNOWLEDGE is retained by the author(s). Authors also grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.




