The debate on the validity of teaching students how to identify their own preferred learning style is not going to go away anytime soon as evidenced by the number of articles still being written about the topic. One can find numerous research studies that say students have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning and retaining…

Learning styles have been widely accepted in pedagogical practice but suffer from a distinct lack of empirical support. While a diverse range of learning styles have been proposed, modality preference has received the most attention within educational research and practice. Supporters of this theory posit that each individual has a dominant sense…

Research shows that from the beginning students should be taught through their perceptual strengths; students can identify their preferences accurately; and younger children learn better through visual experiences than auditory experiences, and best through tactile-kinesthetic experiences. (Author)

Although research results generally fail to confirm a consistent relationship between reading performance and visual perception, auditory perception, or modality preference, clinical observations and teachers' opinions suggest the presence of such a relationship. The article reviews the research and suggests factors, including asking the wrong…

The author considers reasons for the time delay between research findings and classroom application, examines research on teaching math and spelling to the learning disabled (LD) student, and reviews the status of the controversy over process or modality training for LD students. (CL)

As dropout and student disengagement rates reach alarmingly high levels, learning styles theory offers one way to expand teaching methods and curricula to reach more students. Although accommodating individual differences is appealing, nagging doubts and murky research results (detailed in a sidebar) persist. Another sidebar explores culture/style…

Synthesizes findings from 36 studies that validated the Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning-Style Preferences. Questions are raised regarding the validity of the model, the nature of the literature base, the interpretation of the meta-analytic findings, and the conclusions. The article concludes that the model has not been adequately validated.…

This paper reviews the literature on learning styles of Native Americans and Asian-Americans. Four different operational definitions of "learning style" or "cognitive style" are presented, related terms are examined, and inconsistencies of usage in the literature are discussed. Noting the great diversity among Native American…

This study compares traditional lecture (TL) and personalized system of instruction (PSI) teaching methods for an introductory criminal evidence class at Cerritos College (California) during the 1974-75 academic year. The subjects were 189 lower division students, the vast majority of whom were declared law enforcement majors. Since both sections…

Discusses recent research on learning style, revealing some of the problems with the research as well as how work on learning modality can help students with trouble in school. Also discusses tests that identify learning style, and advises teachers to keep an open mind about learning style research. (SKC)

The present report on the sensorium includes the general format, hypotheses, procedures, and contributions of the participants. For the purpose of the study, different sets of variables, hypotheses and procedures were chosen. The variables included the collective and overall perceptions of individuals representing various academic disciplines. It…