Definition of learning styles

Before 1979, the term cognitive style was widely used to describe the different methods that individuals employed to perceive, think about, and solve problems (Griggs, 1991).

Researchers later coined the term ‘learning style’ to identify the educational conditions under which learners prefer to learn (Stewart & Felicetti, 1992).

These conditions do not only include cognitive but also affective and physiological behaviours that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment (Keefe, 1979, cited in Ellis, 2005).

So, learning styles are about the ways in which students prefer to learn. Those learning preferences concern:

1) Information processing or how the individual student processes information (revise, practise tasks, or prepare for an assignment).

2) Instructional preference or the preferred learning environment for an individual. This relates to the way the student likes to learn in class.

4) Learning strategies or specific actions, behaviours, or techniques to deal with learning (Cassidy, 2004).

Types of learning styles

Learning styles can be categorized into three main types: cognitive, personality (psychology), and sensory. Each of these consists of sub-types which will be covered in the following part.

1. Cognitive learning styles

These refer to the learner’s preferred ways of perceiving, remembering, and problem-solving.

The most important learning style dimensions are field independence and field dependence. These learners differ in terms of interpersonal orientation, attention span, competitiveness, and level of comfort with the structure of the learning environment.

Field-independent learners, also known as analytic learners, like to analyze information and solve problems independently. They appear active, autonomous, and self-motivated in their life approach.

These learners also prefer formal learning situations in which the teacher is regarded as a source of information. They are competitive, impersonal, and achievement-oriented (Witkin & Goodenough, 1981).

For field-dependent learners, they like to focus on the whole thing of the learning material. They depend on the environment of the learning situation for structure. So, explicit direction, assignments, and guidelines are necessary for their learning. They also like to work with others, practise and learn by experimentation.

2. Sensory learning styles

Sensory learning style also referred to as perceptual learning style, concerns the involvement of the learner’s sense organs in the process of learning, such as the eyes and ears. There are five styles that fall into this type:

• Visual learners

These learners prefer visual sensory modes to perceive their environment. They are assumed to learn best by visual stimuli such as pictures, graphs, maps, images, and slides.

• Auditory learners

They are also referred to as verbal learners. They prefer to learn by listening. They benefit greatly from spoken stimuli and are excellent listeners. They enjoy listening to lectures, talking, and music. They also recall information best when it is spoken/heard during a discussion (Zapalska & Dabb, 2002).

• Kinesthetic learners

They process information best when moving their bodies. So, they learn best in environments where they can be physically involved in the learning process.

Within the kinesthetic realm, some learners learn best by participating in hands-on activities. These individuals are described as haptic or tactile learners.

They enjoy activities that require them to work with their hands such as artwork, piecing things together, tracing pictures, underlining words as they read, taking notes while listening, etc.

 3. Personality learning styles

individuals gain knowledge at different rates based on their personal abilities. Those abilities determine their attitudes and approach to learning. There are two types of learners in terms of personality: reflective learners and impulsive learners.

Learners who adopt a more reflective than impulsive approach, examine alternative solutions before reaching a final decision. They think more carefully and more thoroughly before they speak, write or do any other production tasks.

They tend to give logical, accurate responses whereas impulsive learners prefer to give the first answer that comes to mind even if it is incorrect.

Those impulsive prefer to work at a fast pace and reach a decision quickly. So, they rush through their work and appear careless.

Identifying learning styles

Identifying learning styles provides educators with a greater awareness of the unique characteristics of learners. This can be used to maximize their learning by developing teaching methods that incorporate various learning styles.

There are formal tests and quizzes designed to identify learning styles and some schools make use of them. Learning style inventories examples include The VARK questionnaire, and Kolb Learning Style Inventory

You will find in my BACK to School Activities a very helpful learning style questionnaire to use with your students.

To get to know how your students prefer to learn, you can also introduce different types of tasks and observe how they react.

For instance, on a field trip or when using experiments tactile learners are more active, doing things, whereas the auditory learners find lecturing, debating, and interviewing more stimulating.

Field dependents are more cooperative in group work and interested in games and story writing, the impulsive are more extroverts and risk-takers, and the visual rely on drawings to sort out problems.

Besides varying the tasks, monitor your students’ learning and interact with them to know more about their interests and needs.

How to address different learning styles in the same class

As teachers, we should remember that individual learners have preferred ways of working, thinking, and learning.

Within the same class, we have different learning styles which present needs that must be met if teaching is to be effective. So, we should not rely on one way of delivering instruction, feedback, assessing, and guiding students towards success.

Instead, different teaching approaches need to be integrated with different tasks or activities that appeal to a wide range of learning styles as Peacock (2001) says: “teachers should strive for a balanced teaching style that does not excessively favor any one learning style― rather that tries to accommodate multiple learning styles”(p.15).

Here are some valuable tips to be flexible in teaching:

• Don’t rely on the same way of explaining lessons. Use visual aids, write on the boards, get students involved, etc.
• Give opportunities for learning in different ways; sitting and listening, watching, reading, cooperating, making movement, etc.
• Give opportunities for students to respond and demonstrate their understanding in a range of different ways: writing responses, presenting a PowerPoint, drawing sketches, creating a board game, etc.
• Differentiate content, process, and product whenever it is necessary.
• Get students involved in making choices of tasks, roles to perform, and materials to study.
• Create learning experiences where they have control over the time, place, pace, and path of their learning (ex. Use blended learning)
• Pair up students with different learning styles to help them realize that there is more than one way to approach and solve a learning problem.

Making students aware of their learning styles is necessary to help them learn more efficiently.

However, as teachers, when introducing the idea of learning styles to our students, we should stress the importance of being able to work and learn in different ways, to adapt to the learning situation to achieve one’s goal.

To conclude, providing appropriate learning activities for a range of different learning styles is required to help most of the students in our classes benefit from our teaching.  So, learn about your students’ preferences to make the necessary adjustments. You’ll support them to learn at their best.

References

Cassidy, S. (2004). Learning styles: An overview of theories, models, and measures. Educational Psychology, 24(4), 419–444.

Ellis, R. (2005). The study of second language acquisition. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Education Press.

Griggs, S. A. (1991). Learning styles counseling. Ann Arbor, MI: ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse, the University of Michigan.

Peacock, M. (2001) Match or mismatch? Learning styles and teaching styles in EFL. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(1), 1-20.

Stewart, K. L., & Felicetti, L.A (1992). Learning styles of marketing majors. Educational Research Quarterly, 15(2), 15-23.

Witkin, H. A., & Goodenough, D. R. (1981). Cognitive styles: Essence and origin. New York: International University Press.

Zapalska, A. M., & Dabb, H. (2002). Learning styles. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 13, 77–97.