Effects of matching and mismatching students' time-of-day preferences

The effects of matching and mismatching students' time-of-day preferences w ith their performance on an algebra test were examined. A model based on th e identification of each student's time-of-day learning-style characteristi c and congruent and incongruent testing times was used. A 2-factor analysis of variance was conducted and followed with simple main effects analyses. On a morning-administered test, students who studied in the morning scored higher than (a) morning-preferenced students who took the test in the after noon, (b) students studying in the afternoon, and (c) students studying in the evening. On an afternoon-administered test, students studying in the af ternoon scored higher, at a level approaching statistical significance, tha n those who studied in the morning. Implications of the findings are sugges ted.