Do Students really have Individual Learning Styles? | Legacy Education Tools

Original article supplied by Legacy Education.

Understanding how students learn has preoccupied education researchers for many decades and remains a huge concern to practitioners today. Among the most widely discussed ideas is the concept of learning styles. This term is sometimes loosely used interchangeably with cognitive style, learning strategy, and preferences. We have therefore used it carefully to avoid ambiguity.

The learning styles idea suggests that students differ in the ways they prefer to receive, process, and remember information. We are aware that this subject is the focus of a long standing intellectual debate. Among the notable authorities of this subject is David A. Kolb. Supporters of the idea argue that awareness of learning style preferences helps educators create more inclusive and engaging lessons. Critics such as Harold Pashler (a professor of psychology at the University of California) and his team, point out that research does not strongly support the claim that matching teaching strictly to a student's preferred style consistently improves academic performance. Similarly, Robert Loo in his 2004 publication argues that many studies’ claims about style-preference linkages are overstated as claims are based on trivial or insignificant findings (see also the publication by Willingham, Hughes & Dobolyi, 2015).

But the fact that previous studies may not have had it right methodologically does not mean there is no merit in the idea. Simon Cassidy concludes there is real value in the idea that people differ in how they prefer to approach learning, and those differences can affect performance. Factually speaking, this idea has influenced lesson planning, curriculum design, and study strategies across many educational settings. The Legacy Research Team meticulously analysed some lesson slides obtained from10 schools in London and the city of Essex. Findings serve as evidence that there is indeed adoption and integration of the four popular learning styles discussed in many academic journals. Our keen observations in addition to conversations with parents who volunteered to talk to us (drawing from their experiences and their own observations) lend encouraging support to the idea of learning styles, thus corroborating with Cassidy. We also observe improvement in academic outcomes of students when we tailored lessons to their preferred delivery methods (example, a combination of video and discussion afterwards as against text dominated lesson).

It needs to be stated, though, that learning styles is not the only predictor of academic outcomes. The learning space students inhabit - the total environment of experiences, relationships, teaching methods and institutional culture may also play significant role, as Alice and David Kolb point out.

What Are Learning Styles?

Based on David A. Kolb's experiential learning model, learning can be viewed as a process consisting of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting.

Learning style refers to a learner's preferred way of consuming and working with new information. Although several models exist, one of the best-known is the VARK framework, which identifies four broad categories. These categories are often used to explain why one student may thrive in a lecture while another responds more positively to demonstrations or active participation. However, most learners do not fit neatly into only one group. In practice, many students use a combination of methods depending on the subject, the task, and the learning environment.

It is important for parents to know the learning style of their children to better support them at home or suggest it to their teachers or teaching assistants. If you are a student reading this, it is important to assess and determine your style(s) of learning in order to make your learning experience smoother than it is now. Modernisation has made it possible to convert one mode of information into another mode. For example, it is impossible to convert text-based notes into videos or even a song, if that helps you. As an adult learner, you may have to also determine what delivery method(s) works for you in order to make an informed decision when enrolling on a course.

Major Learning Styles

Visual Learning

Visual learners seem to respond well to information that is presented spatially or graphically. They often benefit from infographics, mind maps, slides, color-coded notes, flowcharts, and demonstrations.

One advantage of visual learning is that it can make complex or abstract material easier to understand. A well-designed diagram, for example, can often communicate relationships more clearly than a long verbal explanation. Visual resources may also strengthen memory, since students can associate ideas with shapes, colours, or patterns.

Its disadvantage is that not all knowledge can be represented visually in an equally effective way. Some students who depend too heavily on visual materials may struggle in settings where oral explanation or dense reading is unavoidable. This can limit adaptability, especially in more traditional academic contexts.

Auditory Learning

Auditory learners can absorb information more effectively through hearing and speaking. Lectures, class discussions, debates, podcasts, and verbal repetition can be used to support this preference. Students who process information through sound may do particularly well in language learning, group discussion, and subjects that require explanation and argument. Classroom dialogue can also deepen understanding by allowing learners to test ideas aloud.

That notwithstanding, auditory learning has weaknesses. We would like to think that spoken information can easily be forgotten if it is not supported by written notes or translated into a visual diagram. Further, the quality of information can be reduced by noise and that can affect the person’s understanding of what was transmitted.

Reading/Writing Learning

Students with a reading/writing preference generally learn best through text. They are often comfortable with textbooks, note-taking, essays, research articles, and written instructions. As most formal education is designed relying heavily on reading and writing, students with this ability tend to be graded higher as most assessments are based on reading and require written expression.

Kinesthetic Learning

Kinesthetic learners are often described as students who understand best through physical engagement, and direct experience. Laboratory work, role play, field activities, model building, and experimentation are common examples of methods that suit this style. We find that a lot of students can learn through this method.

The key strength of kinesthetic learning is that it is the only one out the four that connects knowledge with action. Students often become more motivated when they can interact with materials directly rather than only hearing or reading about them. Vocational training, science, sports education and performance-based disciplines cannot do without this mode of knowledge delivery.

As not every subject can be easily converted into hands-on activity, excessive reliance on physical engagements may also make it difficult for students to manage tasks requiring continuous quiet concentration.

Advantages of Recognizing Learning Styles

Greater Learner Self-Awareness

Students who reflect on how they learn may become more effective in planning their own study habits. They may discover, for example, that they remember ideas better when they convert notes into diagrams or when they explain concepts aloud.

More Inclusive Classroom Practice

The concept of learning styles can encourage teachers to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. This is especially useful in diverse classrooms where students differ not only in ability but also in confidence, background, and learning habits.

Practical Difficulties of the Learning Styles Theory

Although we find the learning styles model to be useful, their weaknesses must be discussed.

Risk of fixed categorization

Students may be labelled too rigidly. A child described as a "visual learner" may begin to believe that they cannot succeed through reading, listening, or discussion. Such labels can reduce confidence and discourage intellectual flexibility.

Oversimplification of Learning

As stated above in this article, learning is shaped by many factors beyond preference, including motivation, prior knowledge, teaching quality, memory, culture, and the nature of the subject itself. A narrow focus on learning styles may ignore these broader influences. That is why we work with our parent clients to ensure suitable home environments for our students and advise appropriate learning motivation strategies as a holistic strategy.

Practical Application Difficulty at Schools

In real classrooms, teachers often face large class sizes and limited time. Designing separate activities for every style in every lesson may be unrealistic. Teachers therefore tend to use the universal approach, where all or some of the learning styles are considered in lesson designing.

But at Legacy Education, we assess and observe our students keenly and are able to customise lessons to suit our students in our one-to-one gold service, ensuring that every student in our care is catered for. By customising lessons to suit the learning style of our clients, we observe that they enjoy the lessons better and improves engagement. We believe that when learning is made enjoyable and students are engaging, it leads to deeper understanding and hence stronger academic performance.

While personalising our lessons, we also challenge our students to embrace other learning styles to make the more flexible month after month.

Conclusion

The theory of learning styles continues to influence educational discussion because it offers an appealing way to think about student differences. Visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic preferences can help explain why students may respond differently to the same teaching methods. Their advantages include greater engagement and improved learner self-awareness.

We find this model useful, as we observe better performances when we adapt our knowledge delivery methods to suit the learning styles of our students. But it should be used with strategies that consider other learning influences too, such as motivation, teaching quality, memory and culture.

Other References

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Harvard University Press.

Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. Learning and Skills Research Centre.

Dekker, S., Lee, N. C., Howard-Jones, P., & Jolles, J. (2012). Neuromyths in education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 429. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.

Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

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