Are we really more effective when we learn visually or using movement methods? According to the students, yes, according to the experts, no. Now Greek researchers have tested who is right
The effectiveness of learning styles has been debated for a long time. While according to students it matters how and with what method they learn something, psychologists and neurologists have found no evidence that using different learning strategies is more effective in learning the subject matter. According to the layman's idea, everyone can learn in a different way more efficiently, saving time and energy. The best-known versions of learning styles are visual, auditory and movement methods.
Many studies have already attacked the concept of learning styles, according to their results, there is no meaningful difference between the acquisition of knowledge according to different methods, students do not learn better with the method they prefer. Greek researchers sought the answer to whether the different techniques are really useful with further experiments. The research was reported by Research Digest.
Students and teachers don't agree either
According to the results of the research, teachers and students do not agree on the effectiveness of different learning strategies, stated Marietta Papadatou-Pastou, the head of the research. This is a big problem because teachers typically use methods in the classroom that they think suit the students' learning styles.
In the study, nearly 200 fifth- and sixth-grade students could choose the most suitable learning method for them: visual, auditory, or movement. Then they did an IQ test. The task of the 19 teachers participating in the study was to judge whether the students' performance increased by applying the chosen learning style.
Established styles, no results
All of the teachers participating in the experiment supported the use of different techniques, but there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of learning using the method chosen by them or by the students. The results show no correlation between the individual learning methods and the IQ level of the students either, so it is not worth considering the intelligence of the given student when choosing the appropriate strategy.
The weak point of the study was that the teachers were not introduced to the different learning styles, so it is possible that they were not aware of all the options when choosing among them, although the experts do not see much chance of this, since the inclusive VARK model is very widespread in education.
According to the results obtained, the identification and use of different methods is not necessarily necessary for learning to be more efficient.
