Objective: Considering the importance of educational methods as a key factor influencing students’ academic performance, and the need for thoughtful and effective instructional approaches, this study aimed to examine the effects of three instructional methods—reading-based, visual, and audio instruction—on students’ academic performance in an undergraduate research methodology course, with respect to gender and learning style.
Methods: This study employed a causal-comparative (ex post facto) design with a pre-test. The research instruments included a standardized questionnaire assessing college students’ learning styles and their performance on a course assignment. The statistical population consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in the Research Methodology course at the Islamic Azad University, Roudhen Branch. From this population, 80 students were selected through voluntary, non-random sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: The findings indicated that the main effect of gender on assignment performance was not statistically significant. However, the main effect of learning style on assignment performance was significant. In addition, the main effect of instructional method on assignment performance was statistically significant. Furthermore, the interaction effect of instructional method, gender, and learning style on students’ performance was also found to be significant.
Conclusions: The results suggest that instructional methods and students’ learning styles play an important role in academic performance. Moreover, the significant interaction among instructional method, gender, and learning style highlights the importance of considering multiple learner characteristics when designing effective educational strategies.