Name
Capella University
PSYC FPX 3500
Prof. Name
December, 2024
Learning Styles Theory
According to the Learning Styles Theory, everybody has a way of receiving and processing information (Akem, 2023). There are many variants of learning styles that can be divided into visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. A person who is a visual learner usually comprehends lessons more conveniently whenever they see a picture or something written. An auditory learner grasps knowledge and information in the best way when a lecture or discussion is delivered either orally or a recording is played. A kinesthetic or physical learner is one who best learns by using his or her hands or by being physically involved. Adapt educational methods to this, a cross-section of learning profiles. The theory focuses on enhancing the understanding, recalling, and in the long run the efficiency of learning. That said, it has also been criticized because the theory does not have empirical data by which it can be tested empirically, and the accuracy as well as the complexity of identifying each one of the preferred styles to which concessions are made.
The Impact of Learning Styles
One of the claims about how learning styles impact education has to do with improving the fit of instruction to preference and therefore, interest, and performance, issues to do with how learners acquire knowledge became an educational process (Campos et al., 2021). This includes the knowledge of how to create instructional models when educators are aware of varied ways individuals learn: It can be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, for example. For instance, learners who easily understand through diagrams or charts may find it easier to be taught using such instead of the teacher listing examples for learners who learn easily through words or talks. Those students who prefer practical manipulation or who are, in fact, ‘kinesthetic,’ may also read better with interactive tasks. Anyway, learning style research has remained a topic of controversy, and several studies have questioned the idea that teaching should be matched to learning style preferences. However, if a teacher is concerned about the outcome of the students then, sure, a diverse group of learners may require different teaching approaches and make it a more interesting and diverse classroom.
Research Methodology of Learning Styles Theory
Much of the research on the Learning Styles Theory is a study into the relationship between individual preferences for learning and academic performance (Deng et al., 2022). This theory has been applied in various methods of investigation: surveys, observational studies, and experimental designs. Mostly, subjects in surveys employ the questionnaire or self-assessment tools to determine their preferred styles, such as the VARK model, which categorized learning into four major styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. Then, researchers compared levels of academic performance or student engagement by comparing students within a category based on their preference for a learning style. Observational research may observe classroom interaction and teaching effectiveness of procedures aimed at taking advantage of the preferred student learning modes. Experimental studies typically look for evidence that matched teaching supports the students’ learning.
Although it has been widely applied, the learning methodology the Learning Styles Theory is built on has been criticized for lacking consistent empirical support in research (Deng et al., 2022). Some studies have found little evidence that matching teaching methods with individual learning styles improves learning outcomes. As a result, this has raised debates about the validity of learning styles as a reliable framework for education. Critics argue that prior knowledge, motivation, and quality of instruction are more salient in predicting student outcomes. In addition, difficulties in classification and measurement due to the nature of learning styles make methodology problematic because the learner might present with characteristics from multiple styles rather than fitting a single profile. These have led to a continuous debate about the best approach to studying and applying Learning Styles Theory in educational settings.
Limitations and Strengths
On one hand, the Learning Styles Theory is positive. The first advantage is that it encourages personalization of the teaching process since the educator honors the learning style of the learner by directing the approaches to the learner’s level of interest in the course. It can make education more effective and friendly to all students in a classroom setting by addressing every need (Lin et al., 2021). One is that the theory does not have hard evidence on general gains in academic outcomes resulting from matching instructional practice to learning preferences. This has led to poor results between learning style-based instruction and enhanced learning results and therefore the theory has been criticized by many researchers. Additionally, it would not make much sense to label a learner to only one style because a learner might even mix two or more styles. Accordingly, the theory becomes almost unsustainable in the real world. In a nutshell, the Learning Styles Theory simply expresses the idea that learners have their favorite ways of learning, and by directing teaching to these modes, learning outcomes will be boosted (Akem Solange Ojong, 2023).erence of the learner, increasing engagement and motivation in the class. This method can ensure a more inclusive classroom setting by catering to diverse needs. However, one limitation is that the theory is not supported by empirical evidence of consistent academic outcome improvements due to matching teaching styles to individual learning preferences. Many studies failed to show any clear relationship between learning style-based instruction and better learning results and the validity of the theory has thus been questioned. Furthermore, it would be too simplistic to put a student into a single style of learning because a learner may have characteristics of two or more styles. Thus, the theory becomes unworkable in practice.
Summary
Learning Styles Theory posits that there are preferred ways to learn and that instruction tailored to these preferences can enhance learning outcomes (Yang & Wang, 2023). It is the theory that has been widely propagated in learning institutions, and the framework of the theory has been employed to seek the ideal method of personalized teaching Although it has not received a lot of practice it was quite successful. The studies conducted have also shown that the utilization of strategies on the matching of the teaching to the learning styles enhances learning but does not enhance performance. The skeptics occur and embark on the opinion that the hailing of accomplishments in the acquisition process should not be attributed to motivation, prior knowledge, and quality instance of the student.
PSYC FPX 3500 assessment 2 Conclusion
In other words, the Learning Styles Theory states that there are precipitation means by which learning occurs Zhang et al., 2022). It wasvisualizedd in the learning environment, and its framework was applied in approaches to attend to individual differences in learning, but the results have been rather variable. Studies suggest that the implementation of teaching strategies matched to learning styles does not automatically lead to better academic performance.
PSYC FPX 3500 assessment 2 References
Akem Solange Ojong. (2023). Unraveling the efficacy of differentiated instruction in enhancing second language acquisition: A comprehensive review and future directions. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 6(6), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2023.6.6.8
Campos, D. G., Silva, J. L. G., Jarvill, M., Rodrigues, R. C. M., de Souza Oliveira Kumakura, A. R., & Campos, D. G. (2021). Instruments to evaluate undergraduate healthcare student learning styles globally: A scoping review. Nurse Education Today, 107, 105141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105141
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gao, Y. (2022). The limited usefulness of learning style instruments in advancing teaching and learning. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(3), 100686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100686
Lin, S.-S., Shen, S.-L., Zhou, A., & Xu, Y.-S. (2021). Risk assessment and management of excavation system based on fuzzy set theory and machine learning methods. Automation in Construction, 122, 103490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103490
Yang, L., & Wang, Y. (2023). Application of a peer learning and assessment model in an undergraduate pharmacy course. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 362. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04352-8
Zhang, L., Xu, X., Li, Z., Chen, L., & Feng, L. (2022). Interpersonal neural synchronization predicting learning outcomes from teaching-learning interaction: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 835147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835147