ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE 265 THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG LEARNING STYLES, ECONOMIC STATUS, PARENTS’ EDUCATION BACKGROUND, AND ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Nia Dayanti English Language Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia E-mail: niadayanti11@gmail.com Sofendi English Language Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia E-mail: sofendi@yahoo.com Eryansyah English Language Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia E-mail: eryansyah@gmail.com APA Citation: Dayanti, N., Sofendi., & Eryansyah (2021). The relationship among learning styles, economic status, parents’ education background, and English proficiency in university students. English Review: Journal of English Education, 10(1), pp. 265-276. doi: https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v10i1.5387 Received: 04-08-2021 Accepted: 27-10-2021 Published: 31-12-2021 INTRODUCTION As the international business language, English is becoming more important in both native and non- native English-speaking countries (Clement & Murugavel, 2018). With the increase of sophisticated technology and the development of industrial revolution 4.0, English in various and diverse sectors such as business, science, technology, politics, cultural exchange, and social media emerges as an inevitable means of communication. In a similar take, adequate English proficiency has become the foremost prerequisite for demonstrating the genuine quality of individuals. Therefore, English mastery is a significant feature in building competitive and world-class human resources. Nevertheless, based on the 2018 English Proficiency Index (EPI) ranking issued by Education First (2018), Indonesia ranked 51 out of 88 countries. The nation was below other South Abstract: The objectives of this study were to find out (1) whether or not there were significant correlations between (1) learning styles (visual, audio, kinesthetic) and English proficiency, (2) economic status and English proficiency, (3) parents’ educational background and English proficiency, and (4) predictor variables (learning styles, economic status, and parents’ educational background) and the criterion variable (English proficiency). In this correlational study, the data collection was obtained through a Likert scale questionnaire and the documentation of TOEFL prediction results. 489 English Education Study Program students of Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia (PGRI) University became the population of this study. The research sample was 114 students taken purposively using the purposive sampling technique. The study revealed that 46 students had visual learning styles, 38 others acquired a better understanding through audio-based learning activities, and 30 respondents preferred kinesthetic methods. Based on the result of the study, there was no correlation between English proficiency and visual learning style, audio learning style, and economic status. On the other hand, the study indicated a significant correlation between English proficiency with kinesthetic learning style and parents' educational background. Furthermore, there was also a significant correlation between the predictor variables (learning styles, economic status, and parents’ educational background) and the criterion variable (English proficiency). Keywords: economic status; English proficiency; learning styles; parents’ educational background. Nia Dayanti, Sofendi, Eryansyah The relationship among learning styles, economic status, parents’ education background, and English proficiency in university students 266 East Asia countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It was superior only to Thailand and Cambodia. Furthermore, Indonesia's English Proficiency Index had also been declining. From the Moderate Level during 2013 to 2016, it dropped to the Low Level in the next two years. The poor display should be taken into account by the nation as it reflected one aspect of the quality of its human resources. In the context of the Indonesian education system, English is a foreign language. Students learn it from elementary school only as a mere subject. They learn what the language is like and how to use it, but they don't have many opportunities to employ it in communication on a daily basis. Therefore, improving English language skills in Indonesia requires a great deal of support from an education system that can assist not only teachers in transferring the knowledge but also students in acquiring and using the language. To support English language acquisition, the teaching and learning process must accommodate the students' learning styles. According to (Jena, 2017; and Kanadli; 2016). The study of learning styles looks at the characteristic ways individuals perceive and process information Learning style is a prominent aspect of learning new information and acquiring new skills. Understanding learning styles will benefit students determine the proper learning methods and help them enhance their academic progress. Learning styles can be referred to as a series of factors, habits and behaviors that can facilitate learning for an individual in certain situations. It can be said that learning styles are the ability of students to receive and process information in learning situations (Vaishnav, 2013). Furthermore, according to (Gilakjani, 2012) who noted that visual learners learn by seeing and visualizing and they prefer for information to be displayed in writing, such as lists of ideas. The auditory learners tend to be natural listeners and they prefer to have things explained to them verbally rather than to read written information, and they learn by listening and verbalizing. One of the six learning styles will stand out more than the others in each student. To put it into perspective, students with visual learning styles usually tend to be happier by reading and observing. On the other hand, auditory learners are likely to understand better through activities involving listening and speaking. Hence, recognizing students' learning styles is expected to support their advancement during the learning process. Many researchers conducted studies on the correlation between learning style and English proficiency with various outcomes. Marzulina, Pitaloka, and Yolanda (2019) investigated and discovered a correlation between learning styles and English proficiency of Undergraduate EFL Students at One State Islamic University in Sumatra. On the contrary, Rohliah (2015) conducted a study on the correlation among foreign language anxiety, learning styles, language learning attitudes, and English proficiency and found no significant correlation between learning styles and English proficiency. Moreover, home is also an inseparable aspect of learning. Students do homework, prepare for examinations, or review the lesson that they just had at home. When the learning process moves at home, the role of parents becomes very central. Their roles become essential supports for their children's learning achievement. Parents of higher educational levels produce better success in providing their children with the assistance they need to succeed in an academic setting (Pishghadam & Zabini, 2011). Selvam (2013) states that parents with higher educational backgrounds possess the ability to guide and supervise students and discuss schoolwork and lessons with them. Udoh & Sanni (2012) describe that parents with higher educational backgrounds often get better jobs and earn more money. Thus, their children are likely to have a great deal of support from their parents' education and financial capability. In other words, proper learning facilities, the best supporting learning materials, and a better learning atmosphere await them at home. Parents' support becomes an indispensable factor in students' academic success. Another determinant influencing students' English proficiency is their economic status. It is the combination of the economic and social position of an individual or family in connection to others on the premise of income, educational level, and occupational status. Education is a mechanism of getting knowledge and skills especially at a school, college, or university (Gul, R., Kanwal, S., & Khan, S. S., 2020). Suleman et al. (2012) found that children from higher economic status performed superior academic performance while those from lower economic status achieved unsatisfactory academic ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE 267 performance. Saifi & Mehmood (2011) investigated the effect of economic status on students' performance. The study revealed that parents' educational backgrounds, parents' occupations, and facilities at home affected the students' accomplishments. Next, Zang, Jiang, Ming, Ren, and Huang (2021) concluded in their study that although the parents’ background and schools’ quality are keys to student achievement, the indicator of schools’ quality is not about simply having access to learning resources but about how teachers and students utilize them to improve education outcomes. Similarly, (Gul, R., Khan, S. S., & Akhtar, S., 2020). They suggested socioeconomic status as creating problems for the students. Likewise, Marzulina et al. (2018), in their study, reported a significant positive correlation between parent's educational backgrounds and English achievement in which parent's concern for their children's education in school became the determinant to the success of student learning achievement. Aulia, Vianty, and Ihsan (2014) found a significant correlation between parents' economic status and reading achievement of students at Madrasah Aliyah Qodratullah, Langkan, Banyuasin. Marzulina, Pitaloka, Herizal, Holandyah, Erlina, and Lestari (2018) also found a correlation between parents’ educational backgrounds and students’ English achievement in their study. according to Slameto (2013) The factors - learning achievement is divided into two namely internal factors such as physical factors, psychological factors, and fatigue factors. While factors outside the student self or external factors such as family factors, school factors, and community factors. In addition, the indicators of learning achievement. In line with this Setiawan (2015) that parents educational background plays an important role especially in improving learning achievement in schools. From the explanation above, the writer concludes that learning styles, parents' educational background and economic status play a significant role in the students' English proficiency. The author then conducted informal interviews with several respondents from the research sample and found the fact that they had difficulty achieving the desired TOEFL score because they did not know the appropriate learning styles for them. Then, the writer also found that students in PGRI university from low economic status and lower parents' educational backgrounds tend to excel academically, while those from higher economic status and better parents' educational backgrounds tend to be less successful. Based on the gap explained, the author would like to investigate the correlation among learning styles, parents' educational background, economic status, and English proficiency of PGRI University students. This study also investigated the correlation between predictor variables (learning styles, economic status, and parents’ educational background) and the criterion variable (English proficiency). METHOD Research design This research was a quantitative correlational study conducted. This study aimed at finding out whether or not students learning styles, economic status, parents' educational background correlated to their English proficiency. The research framework was depicted in Error! Reference source not found.Error! Reference source not found. below. + Figure 1. Research framework ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE Description: X1 : learning styles X2 : economic status X3 : parents’ educational background Y : English proficiency r1 : correlation between learning styles (visual) and English proficiency of students at PGRI University in Palembang. r1 : correlation between learning styles (audio) and English proficiency of students at PGRI University in Palembang. r1 : correlation between learning styles (kinesthetic) and English proficiency of students at PGRI University in Palembang r2 : correlation between economic status and English proficiency of students at PGRI University in Palembang r3 : correlation between parents’ educational background and English proficiency of students at PGRI University in Palembang r4 : correlation between predictor variables (learning styles (visual, audio, kinesthetic), economic status and parents’ educational background) and a criterion variable (English proficiency) of students at PGRI University in Palembang. Participants The population of study According to Sugiyono (2016) describes the population as a generalization of the area that consists of objects or subjects with particular qualities and characteristics in a study. Similarly, According to Arikunto (2013), population is defined as all members of any well defined class of people, events, or objects. Population is also the group of the people that you want to find out about by doing your research. In addition, Fraenkel, Wallen, and Hyun (2012) explain a population as the group of interest to the researcher, the group with specific characteristics to whom the researcher would like to generalize the result of the study. Table 1 below illustrates the population distribution of this study. Table 1. The distribution of population Semester Total 1st 84 3rd 91 5th 77 7th 30 9th 26 Total 289 Source: PGRI University Palembang The sample of study According to Sugiyono, sample is a part of the population itself. For example, the population of one inhabitant in one area, then the sample is half of the population in the habitant (Sugiyono 2015). In this study, the writer employed purposive sampling techniques in choosing the sample of respondents. purposive sampling technique that is a sampling technique based on certain considerations. The independent variables in this study are mixes exercise and depth jump exercise, the attribute variable in this study is leg length, while the dependent variable is the result of a vertical jump. The instrument used in this study was the measurement of leg length using a meter tool. Therefore, only the members of population meeting the criteria were chosen as the respondents of this study. The sample of this study was the fifth, seventh, and ninth semester students of the English Education Study Program of PGRI Palembang in the 2020/2021 academic year. The sample distribution of this study is presented in the table 2 below. Table 2. Distribution of sample learning styles Learning styles Fi Percentage Visual 46 40,3% Audio 38 33,3% Kinesthetic 30 26,3% Total 114 100% Source: PGRI University Palembang Figure 2. Distribution of sample learning styles Data collection Data is the type of information that researchers obtain from the subject of their research (Fraenkel, Wallen, & Hyun, 2012). In the data collection, the writer applied two instruments. Ready-made ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE 269 questionnaires were employed to collect the respondents' views on learning styles, parents' educational backgrounds, and economic status. Furthermore, the documentation of students' TOEFL score results from the PGRI University was used as the data for English proficiency. From 127 participants, there were 114 students responded to the questionnaires. Questionnaire Three sets of questionnaires were utilized for learning styles, economic status, and parents' educational background. An instrument developed by Cohen, Oxford, and Chi (2006 as cited in Male, 2019) was used to measure the learning styles. The questionnaire contained 30 items. Statements number 5, 10, 26, 27, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 22 are for visual learning style. Statements number 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 23, 24, and 28 are for auditory learning style. Then, statements number 1, 2, 6, 7, 18, 19, 20, 25, and 28 are for kinesthetics learning style. The score ranges are represented by using numbers (Likert-scale) from five until one. The answers have five responses, which are (1) Never, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, and (4) Often, (5) Always. A response indicating a low level of learning styles for audio, visual, and kinesthetic receives one point, while the one indicating a high level of learning styles for audio, visual, and kinesthetic receives five points. Therefore, the lowest total score for each learning style is 10, and 50 is for the highest one. The second instrument was for the economic status variable. The questionnaire was adapted from Maesaroh and Indrawati (2006, 2009, as cited in Aulia 2014). It consisted of fifteen items with four options of responses covering the three aspects of economic status. A response indicating a low level of economic status receives one point, and those showing a high level of economic status receive four points. The possible lowest total score for economic status was 15, and 60 is for the highest total score. Furthermore, the writer adapted the questionnaire for parents’ educational backgrounds from UNESCO (2012). The questionnaire contained six statements about parents' latest and highest educational level. Each of them provided six responses options for respondents to choose from. The responses value from one to six depending on the level of education parents had, one for the lowest score and six for the highest score of educational background. Data analysis The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistic analysis and Spearman Correlation Coefficient. The descriptions of the Degree of Correlation are as follow: Table 3. The degree of correlation degr S Degree of Correlation 0,00 – 0,199 Very Weak Correlation 0,20 – 0,399 Weak Correlation 0,40 – 0,599 Fair Correlation 0,60 – 0,799 Strong Correlation 0,80 - 1,000 Very Strong Correlation Source: Sugiyono (2016) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The result of learning styles (visual) questionnaire Learning style (visual) Questionnaire was a ready- made questionnaire by Cohen, Oxford, and Chi (2006 as cited in Male, 2019). It was administered to find out how many students tend toward visual learning styles (visual). Learning styles (visual) Questionnaire consisted of 10 items. Table 4 below shows the descriptive statistics of the learning styles (visual) Questionnaire Table 4. The descriptive statistics of learning styles (visual) questnnaire Descriptive statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Visual 114 22.00 50.00 35.6140 6.68178 Valid N (listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the questionnaire, the minimum score for visual learning styles was of 22.00, and the maximum was 50.00. The mean score was 35.6140, and the standard deviation was 6.68178. The results of learning styles (audio) questionnaire Nia Dayanti, Sofendi, Eryansyah The relationship among learning styles, economic status, parents’ education background, and English proficiency in university students 270 Learning styles (audio) Questionnaire was a ready- made questionnaire by Cohen, Oxford, and Chi (20016,as cited in Male, 2019). It was administered to find out how many students tend toward visual learning styles (audio). Learning styles (audio) Questionnaire consisted of 10 items. Table 5 below shows the descriptive statistics of the learning styles (audio) Questionnaire. Table 5. The descriptive statistics of learning styles (audio) Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Audio 114 19.00 50.00 35.8246 6.68178 Valid N (listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the questionnaire, the minimum score for audio learning styles was of 19.00, and the maximum was 50.00. The mean score was 35.8246, and the standard deviation was 6.68178. The results of learning styles (kinesthetic) questionnaire Learning styles (kinesthetic) Questionnaire was a ready-made questionnaire by Cohen, Oxford, and Chi (2006 as cited in Male, 2019). It was administered to find out how many students tend to ward visual learning styles (kinesthetic). Learning styles (kinesthetic) Questionnaire consisted of 10 items. Table 6 below shows the descriptive statistics of the learning styles (kinesthetic) Questionnaire. Table 6 The descriptive statistics of learning styles (kinesthetic) questionnaire Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Kinesthetic 114 17.00 50.00 33.8070 6.77956 Valid N (listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the learning styles (kinesthetic) Questionnaire, students learning styles (kinesthetic) judgment ranged from a minimum of 17.00 to a maximum of 50.00 with a mean of 33.8070 and a standard deviation of 6.77956. The results of economic status questionnaire Economic status Questionnaire was a ready-made questionnaire by Maesaroh and Indrawati (2006, 2009, as cited in Aulia 2014). It was administered to find out how many students tend toward visual economic status. Economic status Questionnaire consisted of 10 items. Table 7 below shows the descriptive statistics of the Economic status Questionnaire. Table 7. The descriptive statistics of economic status questionnaire Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Parents Education 114 21.00 54.00 35.5526 5.99276 Valid N (listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the Economic status Questionnaire, the minimum of student economic status score was 21.00, and the maximum score was 54.00. The mean was 35.5526, and the standard deviation was 5.99276. The results of parents educational background questionnaire Parents' educational background Questionnaire was a ready-made questionnaire by (UNESCO, 2012). It was administered to find out how many students tend toward visual economic status. Parents' educational background Questionnaire consisted of 10 items. Table 8 below shows the descriptive statistics of the Parents Educational Background Questionnaire. ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE 271 Table 8. The descriptive statistics of parents’ educational background questionnaire N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Parents Education 114 2.00 12.00 6.5965 2.37509 Valid N ( listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the Parents educational background Questionnaire, the minimum score of parents’ educational background was 2.00, and the maximum score was 12.00. The mean score was 6.5965, and the standard deviation was 2.37509. . The results of English proficiency questionnaire English proficiency was administered to find out the English proficiency level of students of PGRI University. Table 10 below shows the descriptive statistics of the Parents’ educational background Questionnaire. Table 9. The descriptive statistics of English proficiency questionnaire N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation English Proficiency 114 350.00 550.00 479.1491 34.88850 Valid N (listwise) 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the data obtained from the result of English proficiency Judgment ranged from a minimum of 350 to a maximum of 550 with a mean of 479.1491 and a standard deviation of 34.88850. Correlation analysis Table 10. Correlation learning style (visual) test with English proficiency Correlations Visual English Proficiency Spearman's rho Visual Correlation Coefficient 1.000 -.172 Sig. (2-tailed) . .067 N 114 114 English Proficiency Correlation Coefficient -.172 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .067 . N 114 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on Table 10, the correlation coefficient value for visual learning style was -0.172. The significant value Was 0.067. The correlation coefficient value of -0,172 (lower than 0) indicated a negative direction, meaning no unidirectional correlation occurred between visual learning style and English proficiency. In other words, the visual learning style did not help students to have sufficient English proficiency. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient value in the interval of 0.00 - 0.199 marked a very weak correlation between visual learning style and English proficiency. Finally, the sig value was 0.067 indicating there is no significant correlation between Visual and English Proficiency. Table 11. Correlation learning style (audio) test with English proficiency Correlations Audio English Proficiency Spearman's rho Audio Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .183 Sig. (2-tailed) . .052 N 114 114 English Profici ency Correlation Coefficient .183 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .052 . N 114 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE Based on Table 11, the correlation coefficient value for audio learning style was 0.183. The significant value Was 0.052. The correlation coefficient value was higher than 0. It indicated a positive direction, meaning a unidirectional correlation occurred between audio learning style and English proficiency. In other words, the higher the audio learning style score was, the better English proficiency students had. However, the correlation coefficient value in the interval of 0.00 - 0.199 marked a very weak correlation between audio learning style and English proficiency. Then, the significant value showed that there is no significant correlation between audio and English proficiency. Table 12. Correlation learning style (kinesthetic) test with English proficiency Kinestheti c English Proficienc y Spearman's rho Kinest hetic Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .339** Sig. (2-tailed) . .000 N 114 114 English Profici ency Correlation Coefficient .339** 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 . N 114 114 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on Table 12, the correlation coefficient value for kinesthetic learning style was 0.339. The significant value was 0.000. Since the correlation coefficient value indicated a positive direction, a unidirectional correlation occurred between kinesthetic learning style and English proficiency. In other words, the higher the kinesthetic learning style score was, the better English proficiency students had. However, the correlation coefficient value in the interval of 0.200 - 0.399 marked a very weak correlation between kinesthetic learning style and English proficiency. However, the significant value showed a significant correlation between kinesthetic and English Proficiency. Table 13. Correlation economic status test with English proficiency Correlations ES EP Spearman's rho ES Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .143 Sig. (2-tailed) . .128 N 114 114 EP Correlation Coefficient .143 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .128 . N 114 114 Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on Table 13, the correlation coefficient value for the economic status variable was 0.143. The significant value was 0.128. Since the correlation coefficient value indicated a positive direction, a unidirectional correlation occurred between economic status and English proficiency. In other words, the higher the economic status score was, the better English proficiency students had. However, the correlation coefficient value in the interval of 0.00 - 0.199 marked a very weak correlation between economic status and English proficiency. Then, the significant value showed no significant correlation between economic status and English Proficiency. Table 14. Correlation parents’ educational background test with English proficiency PE EP ENGLISH REVIEW: Journal of English Education p-ISSN 2301-7554, e-ISSN 2541-3643 Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021 https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE 273 Spearman's rho PE Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .389** Sig. (2-tailed) . .000 N 114 114 EP Correlation Coefficient .389** 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 . N 114 114 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on Table 14, the correlation coefficient value for the parents' educational background variable was 0.389. The significant value was 0.000. Since the correlation coefficient value indicated a positive direction, a unidirectional correlation occurred between parents' educational backgrounds and English proficiency. In other words, the higher the parents' educational background score was, the better English proficiency students had. However, the correlation coefficient value in the interval of 0.200 - 0.399 marked a very weak correlation between parents' educational background and English proficiency. Then, the significant value showed a significant correlation between parents' educational backgrounds and English Proficiency. Table 15. The correlations among predictor variables the correlations among predictor variables Model R F Sig. 1 .439a 8.752 .000 a. Predictors: (Constant), LEARNING STYLES, ECONOMIC STATUS AND PARENTS EDUCATIONAL b. Criterion Variable: ENGLISH PROFICIENCY Source: Output from SPSS version 25 Based on the Error! Reference source not found., the correlation coefficient between the predictor variables total and the criterion variable total was .439 with a significance value of .000. Thus, it can be concluded that there was a significant correlation between predictor variables (learning styles, economics status, and parents’ educational background) and the criterion variable (English Proficiency). Discussion In this section, the author will provide discussion of the statistical analysis that was conducted in the finding section. Interpretation will be presented following the research problem in this study. The correlation between Learning styles and English proficiency The findings of this study stated that there was no significant correlation between visual learning style and English proficiency. The findings were in line with Setyoningsih (2019). The research that visual learning style had no significant correlation with English proficiency and had a positive coefficient value. In other words, students with visual learning style tend to have low English proficiency. In addition, this study discovered no significant and positive correlation between audio learning style and English proficiency. Similar research conducted by Marzulina, Pitaloka, & Yolanda (2019) also obtained identical findings. The study revealed learners with audio learning style tended to have poor English proficiency. Finally, this study identified a correlation between kinesthetic learning style and English proficiency. Students with kinesthetic learning style, if well-accommodated and facilitated, would have excellent English proficiency. This finding had similarity to the findings from Jaya (2019). The correlation between economic status and English proficiency The study revealed significant negative correlation between economic status variable and English proficiency. This indicates that higher economic status does not guarantee students will obtain the desired English proficiency. It is in line with the findings from Hernandez (2014) also found significant negative correlation between economic status and learners achievement in Mathematics. The correlation between parents’ educational background and English proficiency The findings revealed that parents’ educational background showed significantly positive correlation with the English proficiency. Higher Nia Dayanti, Sofendi, Eryansyah The relationship among learning styles, economic status, parents’ education background, and English proficiency in university students 274 level of educational background provided parents a better understanding of what the children needs to excel in the classroom. Therefore, the higher educational background a parent has, the better chance students will have to perform well. Several studies also discover a similar result. Marzulina et al. (2018) concluded a significant positive correlation between parents’ educational backgrounds and English achievement. In addition, Susetyo and Rahmawati (2021) stated in their study that parents educational background was the key to student success in achieving English proficiency. The correlation between predictor variables (learning styles, economics status, parents’ educational backgtround) and criterion variables (English proficiency) The result shows a significantly positive correlation between predictor variables (learning styles, economic status, parents’ educational) and criterion variables (English proficiency). This means learning styles, parents’ educational background and economic status could become the determinant of English proficiency variable. CONCLUSION To begin with, the findings indicate that visual and audio learning styles did not have a significant correlation with the student's English proficiency. Only kinesthetic learning style is significantly related to the student's English proficiency. In other words, the visual and audio learning styles may not give any stimuli to help students understand English and achieve the desired proficiency. On the other hand, learners with kinesthetic learning styles are likely to have a better understanding of English and achieve proficiency if the teachers and the students themselves could accommodate their learning style into the teaching and learning plannings. Based on both writer (alumnae)’s personal experience and informal interview results, many lecturers do not consider and accommodate students' learning styles in preparing lesson plans and during its application in the classroom. Therefore, this study recommends lecturers to consider students' learning styles in preparing lesson plans, determining learning methods, and selecting teaching materials. Knowing students' learning styles will be very beneficial for students because a well-accommodated learning style will help improve their understanding of the lesson. Then, it will be very useful if lecturers can map students based on their learning styles in class so that they become more interested and motivated in learning. Next, the study also found no significant correlation between students’ economic status and their English Proficiency. Students who came from the middle to up class of economic status and could afford good facilities and English courses did not show a significant difference in academic performance. They could not make the most of the facilities they had and were not highly motivated to achieve the desired achievement. In other words, students' economic status did not guarantee better grades and proficiency levels. Last but not least, the parents' educational background turned out to have a significant relationship with the students’ English proficiency. Therefore, it is safe to say that students who have highly educated parents are likely to achieve a good level of English proficiency. To sum up, learning styles and economic status did not correlate with the student's proficiency level. Only parents’ educational backgrounds had a significant correlation based on correlation coefficient level and could help to advance their children English proficiency. However, students and teacher/lecturers should still need to know about learning styles to ease learners reach expected English proficiency. This study suggests that lecturers and teachers can understand students' learning styles. In addition, lecturers or instructors must improve their teaching abilities to better accommodate students' learning styles. Then, the results of this study can be used as a reflection for students to know themselves better and determine what learning style is most suitable for them to accomplish the best and desired learning outcomes. Finally, future researchers can use the results of this study as materials for consideration and reference in conducted related studies. 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