![]() The best approach for them may even vary day-to-day. A single student may learn best with one approach in one subject and a different one in another. Simply put, students’ learning preferences as identified via questionnaires do not predict the singular, best way to teach them. ![]() ![]() In fact, a student’s “learning style” may not even predict the way they prefer to be taught or the way they actually choose to study on their own (Newton & Salvi, 2020). Study after study has shown that matching instructional mode to a student’s supposedly identified “learning style” does not produce better learning outcomes. By placing students in categories that reflect “preferred learning styles,” we run the risk of oversimplifying the complex nature of teaching and learning to the detriment of our students. While this brief survey may provide some insights for teachers, we must be wary of overestimating the value of the results. Based on their responses, the system classifies them as Visual, Auditory, Read-write, and/or Kinesthetic learners and recommends specific learning strategies. Students answer 25 multiple-choice questions that range from how they like their teachers to teach (discussions and guest speakers, textbooks and handouts, field trips and labs, or charts and diagrams) to how they would give directions to a neighbor’s house (draw a map, write out directions, say them aloud, or walk with the person) (VARK Learn Limited, 2021). One of the most popular learning styles inventories used in schools is the VARK system (Cuevas, 2015). More than 70 different systems have been developed that use student questionnaires/self-reports to categorize their supposed learning preferences. The “learning styles” theory makes a big leap, suggesting that students will learn better if they are taught in a manner that conforms to their preferences. People can also have preferences in the way they receive information-Joan may prefer to read an article while Jay may rather listen to a lecture. It’s true that people have fairly stable strengths and weaknesses in their cognitive abilities, such as processing language or visual-spatial stimuli. That’s a problem-because research tells us that this approach doesn’t work to improve learning. Studies show that an estimated 89% of teachers believe in matching instruction to a student’s preferred learning style (Newton & Salvi, 2020). The concept of “learning styles” has been overwhelmingly embraced by educators in the U.S.
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