The Importance Of Learning Styles Theory

Research shows that learning styles theory is a neuroscience myth. Although this may be true, the majority of educators when given a survey indicate they believe in the learning styles and use them in their classrooms. In this essay, I will explore why this discrepancy is occurring and look at ways to share the truth with current and future educators.

“The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning-styles approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for it’s utility is, in our opinion, striking and disturbing. If the classification of students’ learning styles has practical utility, it remains to be demonstrated” (Jacobs, 2015).

Riener & Willingham (2010) define learning styles as different students have different

Students have preferences about how they learn. Students have preferences about which learning style makes them feel successful and comfortable. However, the research cannot prove this. This is the tricky part. How an individual would like to be taught often depends on what is being taught. The learning style theory claims that individual’s learning styles are going to be the same, independent of the content. To illustrate this point, imagine having to install a new dishwasher. Would you rather read text, see illustrations, listen to a podcast, view a video, or call the repair-man? The learning styles theory would indicate that your preference would be the same every time and clearly it will depend each individual situation.

Life cannot be fit into clean and simple categories, for learning styles or anything else.

Meanwhile, teachers need to be aware of the learning styles,but more so to be wise about each lesson individually and deciding the best way to reach students. “While there might not be a best learning style for each person, there does seem to be a best way to present different types of information. For most kinds of material there is an overwhelming better way to teach it” (Jacobs,

The days of lecture-based lessons, drill and kill worksheets, straight rows, and hitting students with rulers is gone. Our schools look much different now and are more inclusive and open. Group work, project-based assignments and electives have replaced some of the old ways. Although this may be true, there have been some growing pains along the way. Learning styles is the latest concept that is being explored and debated. If most educators can agree that there are better ways to teach lessons, then we are on the right track. There are multiple ways to teach everything and this is where the creativity of teaching excites most educators. Matching specific students to a specific learning style is a myth and when educators understand that this is what the learning styles theory is really saying, it will become clear. There is not a one-size fits all approach and there never has been.

Differentiated instruction gets a lot of attention in schools. Special education teachers are asked how they differentiate their lessons to each individual student. A better understanding of the learning styles myth is important, additionally teachers have to take into account the difference in learner’s abilities, background knowledge and interests. “What we are telling teachers is just relax, and don’t worry about it, just worry about the best way to present the material” (Jacobs,