A LOT has been said about learning styles, including by yours truly. It is essential to establish where they fit in the important discussion of differentiation and pedagogy as a whole.
Learning styles are the different ways students prefer ways to receive and process information. This theory has implications that suggest that tailoring teaching strategies to align with these preferences can enhance learning.
But what does the research on learning styles say? Some would argue that research does not support the widespread popularity of teaching to learning styles.
I strongly believe:
- in differentiation
- In the part that learning styles (preferences) play in differentiation
- the role of differentiation in classroom management
- in evidence based instruction
- and the changing nature of evidence as more research is done.
Learning Style vs Learning Preference: Are Learning Styles Real?
Learning style: The idea that we learn best with one approach (ie. visual) as opposed to another (ie: auditory). The belief has been that we are born with a certain predisposition to learn a certain way.
Learning preference: Learning preferences focuses more on how each of us prefers to learn. A preference is not hardwired into our brain as it is more subjective.
The distinction between the two is important. There has been a movement towards spending time and money on assessing learning styles in the classroom. This is concerning if the assessments don’t improve learning.
Are Learning Styles Evidence Based?
There is very little evidence to support that students have specific learning styles.
The 2009 issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest asked noted psychologists Harold Pashler, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Robert Bjork to do a meta-analysis on the research . They set out to determine if there is credible evidence to support the focus on learning styles in the classroom.
They found that several studies that used appropriate research designs found evidence that contradicted the learning-styles hypothesis.
However, and here is where I think the confusion occurs, the research does not say that the same method of instruction is best for all contexts and all learners. Obviously using a lab experiment will make chemistry lessons more vivid, and geometry will likely be best with visual spatial materials.
Are Learning Preferences Important?
Harold Pashler et al. do clarify that teachers’ observations identifying that a student may learn better in one way rather than another are important.
They are just saying don’t waste time and money testing for learning styles and then using those assessments to drive instructional choices.
Students will still have their preferred modalities, and these preferences may create engagement which furthers their success.
There may also be some ways to teach some subjects which just make more sense than other ways. For example, just because a student likes to learn through verbal descriptions this is not going to be suitable when teaching about visual art. It would be best to look at, or even touch in some cases, the subject being studied.
However, a variety of instructional styles and strategies serves students the best. Learning through their preferred method is engaging, but learning through other methods may help them to gain a perspective and understanding not available using only their preferred method.
What Does This Mean for Differentiation in the Classroom?
While the debate continues, let’s stay focused on what truly impacts student success: a balanced approach to differentiation.
Embracing the understanding of learning preferences can lead to engaging and meaningful learning experiences without the ball and chain of conforming to learning styles.
Knowing that students may have individual preferences, teachers can develop diverse instructional strategies that create both engagement and deeper understanding.
Research may not strongly support the traditional view , but it does highlight the importance of adaptable, evidence-based teaching methods.
Strong evidence-based instructional methods do incorporate a variety of approaches that both suit the subject matter and that meet the unique needs of the students in your classroom.
This keeps education dynamic and responsive to new insights, always aiming to enhance the learning journey for every student.
Stay focused on the pillars differentiation:
- Content
- Process
- Product
- Learning Environment
By focusing on these pillars, providing options for preferences, and by providing opportunities for student choice, we can continue to create dynamic learning environments.
These environments will provide the best opportunity for each of our students, and that does line up with the current research on learning styles.