The History and Controversy Surrounding Learning Styles

The root concept of “learning styles” is based on a simple and intuitive idea: different people most successfully learn through different means. Or maybe they best learn through different sensory or emotional inputs. Possibly because people with differing brains make them more receptive to certain ways of knowing and absorbing information. Some people managed to take this intuitive idea and build massively successful careers for decades. Students were labeled “Visual,” “Aural,” or “Kinesthetic” learners. The problem, as researchers discovered in the ‘00s, is that there’s no good evidence to suggest that any of the “learning styles” models popular with teachers actually improved educational outcomes. But that did little to slow the popularity of learning styles — or the mini industry built up around them. References McLaughlin, Dorene Casey EdD, "An Evaluation Case Study of the Effects of a Learning Style Awareness Program for Ninth Graders at an Independent School" (1996). Dissertations. 617. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/617 Furey, William, “The Stubborn Myth of Learning Styles” (2023) https://www.educationnext.org/stubborn-myth-learning-styles-state-teacher-license-prep-materials-debunked-theory/ 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 Sun X, Norton O, Nancekivell SE. Beware the myth: learning styles affect parents', children's, and teachers' thinking about children's academic potential. NPJ Sci Learn. 2023 Oct 17;8(1):46. doi: 10.1038/s41539-023-00190-x. PMID: 37848467; PMCID: PMC10582039. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37848467/ Coffield, F. (2004). Learning Styles and Pedagogy in Post-16 Learning: a Systematic and Critical Review. LSRC Reference, Learning & Skills Research Center, London. https://www.leerbeleving.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/learning-styles.pdf Cassidy, Simon (2004) Learning Styles: An overview of theories, models, and measures, Educational Psychology, 24:4, 419-444, DOI: 10.1080/0144341042000228834 https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341042000228834 Rogowsky, Beth A., et al. “Matching Learning Style to Instructional Method: Effects on Comprehension.” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 107, no. 1, 2015, pp. 64–78., doi:10.1037/a0037478. “Belief in Learning Styles Myth May Be Detrimental.” PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2019, doi:10.1037/e504772019-001. Fleming, N., and Baume, D. (2006) “Learning Styles Again: VARKing up the right tree!”, Educational Developments, SEDA Ltd, Issue 7.4, Nov. 2006, p4-7. Knoll, Abby R., et al. “Learning Style, Judgements of Learning, and Learning of Verbal and Visual Information.” British Journal of Psychology, vol. 108, no. 3, 2016, pp. 544–563., doi:10.1111/bjop.12214. Nancekivell, Shaylene E., et al. “Maybe They’Re Born with It, or Maybe It’s Experience: Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Learning Style Myth.” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 112, no. 2, 2020, pp. 221–235., doi:10.1037/edu0000366. Hyman, Ronald & Rosoff, Barbara (1984) Matching learning and teaching styles: The jug and what's in it, Theory Into Practice, 23:1, 35-43, DOI: 10.1080/00405848409543087 https://doi.org/10.1080/00405848409543087 Learning Styles Network Resources Brochure https://web.archive.org/web/20050527165802fw_/http://www.learningstyles.net/2004/resource_brochure/resource_brochure.pdf