Effects of Learning on Development » Criticism of Learning Styles

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The main criticisms of learning styles theories
Lack of scientific evidence supporting learning styles
Problems with measurement and assessment tools
Alternative approaches to understanding learning differences
Practical implications for education and teaching methods

Introduction to Criticisms of Learning Styles

Learning styles theories suggest that individuals have preferred ways of taking in and processing information. These theories claim that matching teaching methods to a student's preferred learning style will improve their learning outcomes. However, despite their popularity in education, learning styles theories face significant criticism from researchers and psychologists.

Key Definitions:

Learning styles: The idea that individuals have preferred ways of learning (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, etc.) and learn best when taught in these preferred styles.
VAK model: A common learning styles theory categorising learners as Visual, Auditory, or Kinaesthetic.
Matching hypothesis: The claim that matching teaching methods to learning styles improves learning outcomes.

💡 Popular Learning Styles Models

Several models have become popular in education:

VAK/VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinaesthetic
Kolb's Experiential Learning: Divergers, Assimilators, Convergers, Accommodators
Honey and Mumford: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists, Pragmatists

❓ The Core Problem

Despite their intuitive appeal and widespread use, learning styles theories face a fundamental problem: there is very little scientific evidence supporting the idea that matching teaching to learning styles improves learning outcomes. This disconnect between popularity and evidence forms the basis for most criticisms.

Major Criticisms of Learning Styles

🔍 Lack of Scientific Evidence

The most significant criticism of learning styles is the lack of robust scientific evidence supporting them. Multiple comprehensive reviews of research have found:

Few studies use appropriate methodology to test the matching hypothesis
Well-designed studies typically fail to find evidence that matching teaching to learning styles improves outcomes
Many studies showing positive results have serious methodological flaws

Research Spotlight: Pashler et al. (2008)

In a comprehensive review, researchers examined the scientific evidence for learning styles. They concluded: "We found virtually no evidence... that would support the idea that matching instruction to students' learning styles leads to better learning outcomes." Despite reviewing thousands of studies, they found no methodologically sound studies that supported the matching hypothesis.

📝 Problems with Measurement

Learning styles assessments often have poor psychometric properties:

🔃 Poor Reliability

Many learning style questionnaires show low test-retest reliability, meaning a person might get different results if they take the test multiple times.

🔬 Validity Issues

There's limited evidence that learning style assessments actually measure meaningful differences in how people learn.

📊 Arbitrary Categories

Many learning style models create artificial categories rather than measuring continuous traits, oversimplifying human learning.

For example, the popular VAK questionnaire often categorises people based on small differences in scores, potentially placing someone in the "visual learner" category when they scored only slightly higher on visual items than auditory ones.

💻 Neuroscientific Challenges

Modern neuroscience research challenges some fundamental assumptions of learning styles theories:

The brain processes information in complex, integrated ways rather than through separate sensory "channels"
Learning typically involves multiple sensory systems working together
Brain plasticity means our learning approaches can and do change based on what we're learning

Neuroscientists have identified learning styles as a "neuromyth" - a misunderstanding about how the brain works that has become widely believed in education.

Practical and Ethical Concerns

💸 Resource Misallocation

Schools and educational institutions spend significant resources on learning styles training, assessments and materials. Critics argue these resources could be better spent on evidence-based educational approaches.

For example, a school might spend money on learning styles workshops for teachers rather than on proven interventions like feedback techniques or metacognitive strategies.

🔐 Labelling and Limiting Students

Categorising students as particular types of learners may:

Create self-fulfilling prophecies ("I'm a visual learner, so I can't learn well from lectures")
Limit students' development of diverse learning strategies
Lead to students avoiding certain learning activities

📖 Alternative Approaches to Individual Differences

Critics suggest that instead of focusing on learning styles, educators should consider:

🎓 Prior Knowledge

What students already know about a topic is one of the strongest predictors of how well they'll learn new related information.

💪 Aptitude

Students' abilities in specific domains (like spatial reasoning or verbal ability) affect how they learn different subjects.

🎯 Learning Strategies

Teaching students effective learning strategies (like retrieval practice or spaced repetition) benefits all learners.

Case Study Focus: The Learning Styles Debate in Schools

In 2017, a survey of UK teachers found that 76% believed in learning styles despite the lack of evidence. This led to a campaign by neuroscientists and psychologists to reduce the use of learning styles in schools. They argued that while teachers should certainly use varied teaching methods, they shouldn't do so based on the idea that students have fixed learning styles. Instead, they should vary methods because:

Different content is best taught in different ways
Variety maintains student engagement
Multimodal learning (using multiple senses) is beneficial for everyone

Balanced Perspective and Moving Forward

While the evidence doesn't support matching teaching to learning styles, this doesn't mean we should ignore individual differences in learning. Instead, research suggests:

Use diverse teaching methods for all students, not just to match supposed learning styles
Focus on the content being taught - some material is naturally better suited to visual, auditory, or hands-on approaches
Teach students metacognitive skills so they can monitor and adapt their own learning approaches
Consider evidence-based factors that do affect learning, such as prior knowledge, working memory capacity and motivation

✅ What Teachers Should Do

Rather than trying to match teaching to learning styles:

Use multiple modalities to present important information
Choose teaching methods based on the content and learning objectives
Help students develop a range of learning strategies
Encourage students to adapt their approach based on what they're learning

💡 Why Learning Styles Remain Popular

Despite the criticism, learning styles theories remain popular because:

They seem intuitive and match our subjective experiences
They provide a simple framework for thinking about learning differences
They encourage teachers to use varied teaching methods
Commercial interests promote learning styles assessments and materials

Summary: Key Points to Remember

Despite their popularity, there is little scientific evidence supporting the idea that matching teaching to learning styles improves learning outcomes
Learning styles assessments often have poor reliability and validity
Categorising students by learning style may limit their development and create unhelpful labels
Modern neuroscience doesn't support the brain mechanisms implied by learning styles theories
Teachers should use diverse teaching methods for all students, not just to match supposed learning styles
Focus on evidence-based approaches to addressing individual differences in learning

Understanding these criticisms helps us move beyond simplistic views of learning and develop more effective, evidence-based approaches to education that truly support all learners.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!