Learning Styles

There are different theories on learning styles, but they generally posit that each person has a dominant learning style and can learn best by using that style (e.g., visual learners can learn best through a visual presentation of information). Related to these theories is the idea that teachers can be most successful when they understand their individual students’ learning styles and effectively match each student’s unique, individual style to the strategies and methods they employ in the classroom. The idea that instruction is best provided in a way that matches the individual’s learning style is known as the meshing hypothesis.

Research evidence for these ideas is lacking. Although there is empirical evidence that children and adults express preferences about how they want to present information or have information presented to them, these preferred styles or techniques may exhibit themselves in an eclectic mix of styles depending on the content area, environment, or experiences of the individual. This entry further defines learning styles and discusses research into efforts to identify students’ learning styles and match instructional approaches to each student’s style. It then looks at the idea that it is optimal for all learners that information be presented in multiple ways and describes an instructional approach corresponding to this idea.

[Page 960]Learning styles identify common ways that individuals gravitate toward acquiring knowledge and skills. Lynne Baldwin and Khaled Sabry define learning styles as the way in which “learners approach the task of learning differently, and use a pattern of behaviour that they have developed over time” (p. 325). An individual’s preferred style is said to guide the way in which the individual learns by directing (a) how the individual internally or externally represents experiences or knowledge, (b) the manner through which the individual recalls or applies information, and/or (c) the communication style—including word choice and mannerisms—of the individual. Learning style models and methods of measuring individual learning styles include David Kolb’s model and the Index of Learning Styles developed by Richard Felder and Barbara Soloman.

Although ideas about learning styles are often at the forefront of educational discussions and emphasized in the context of teaching and learning, few studies have used rigorous methods to test the validity of the claims surrounding learning styles theories when applied to educational settings. Studies have explored the connection between students’ motivation and teaching practices that are matched to their specific, preferred learning styles. Although research shows that individuals express personal preferences for learning in specific ways, there is a lack of research-based evidence that indicates identifying students’ particular learning styles produces better educational outcomes.

Furthermore, results from studies using rigorous research methods and statistical analyses contradict the popular claims directly connecting an individual’s academic success to the individual’s identified learning style (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, auditory) and teachers’ instructional methods. There is a dearth of existing evidence regarding students’ reliable exhibition of particular learning styles over an extended period, or that learning outcomes or progress are significantly increased when teachers put forth the effort to match their instruction to students’ learning preferences.

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