Mediation–Moderation Analysis of Senior High School Student Satisfaction, Academic Engagement, Gender, and Its Relationship With Learning Styles and Academic Performance

Abstract

A complex interplay of cognitive, emotional and contextual factors shapes student learning and academic success. This study examined the relationships among learning styles, student satisfaction, academic engagement, gender, and academic performance of senior high school students in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality of Ghana. Conducted in August 2021, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. Senior high schools and the students were selected using purposive sampling, proportionate sampling, and a table of random numbers. Of the 341 questionnaires distributed, 287 valid responses were retrieved and analysed. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using Hayes' PROCESS macro. Results revealed that student satisfaction mediates the relationship between learning styles (independent, avoidant, collaborative, dependent, competitive and participant) and academic performance. Further, academic engagement was found to mediate the relationship between student satisfaction and academic performance. In addition, gender moderated the association between participants' learning styles and student satisfaction. These findings suggest that the Ghana Education Service (GES) should integrate learning style awareness and student engagement strategies into continuous professional development programs for senior high school teachers. Such training would empower educators to identify subtle learning needs in overcrowded classrooms and tailor their delivery accordingly.