Learning styles of elementary preservice teachers

College Student Journal, Sept, 2004 by Tina Sloan, C.J. Daane, Judy Giesen

This study investigated the learning style preference of 72 elementary preservice teachers who were near the end of their third year of collegiate study. A learning style inventory, the Style Analysis Survey, was administered to determine learning style preferences. The categories assessed were (a) using physical senses, (b) dealing with people, (c) handling possibilities, (d) approaching tasks, and (e) dealing with ideas. Overall, the subjects possessed some common characteristics. They showed an inclination toward being visual learners who were extroverted, closure-oriented, and global learners.

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Learning styles are determined by the combination of how one perceives and processes information (Kolb, 1983). People do this in a variety of ways. Jensen (1996) proposed that in order to accommodate this variety of learning styles, effective instruction must involve all the senses and must require teachers to immerse students in a variety of activities. If this is not done, conflicts may arise when the instructional style of teachers is different from the learning styles of their students (Oxford & Anderson, 1995). According to Brownfield (1993) knowledge of learning styles could help teachers understand and appreciate individual differences among students. It has been suggested that students will learn faster and with greater ease when teachers gear instruction to students' learning styles (Dunn & Dunn, 1978; Hodges; 1983, McCarthy, 1987).

However, Barbe and Milone (1981) reported that teachers are more inclined to instruct in a manner that corresponds with their own learning style. Many teachers are unaware of their own style of learning and thus, simply teach the way they were taught. If teachers are to have a better understanding of their own learning style and that of their students, this issue needs to be addressed in their preservice teacher education programs (Sloan, Daane, & Giesen, 2002).

There is a lack of research in the area of learning styles and elementary preservice teachers. What research has been done suggests that elementary preservice teachers often have been characterized as global or right-brain learners who initially seek the big picture and prefer to think in a divergent manner (Van Cleaf & Schkade, 1989). Matthews (1994) found elementary preservice teachers to be conceptual learners or ones who preferred to learn with language-oriented methods such as through lecture and reading. Elementary majors appeared to be predominantly intuitive and holistic thinkers who process and perceive information best in a whole-to-part manner as opposed to seeing information as a collection of isolated facts.

Although past research lends some insight into the nature of preservice teachers, more research is needed. This investigation was designed to explore the learning style preferences of elementary preservice teachers. This information may be helpful to teacher education programs in deciding how important the studying of learning styles might be to preservice teachers. According to Dunn, Beaudry, and Klavas (1989), being able to identify learning styles and using them as a basis for instruction is vitally important for teachers in light of an increasingly diverse student population. It could lead to improved learning and better academic achievement for students (Stevenson & Dunn, 2001).

Methods

The 72 participants in this study (66 females and 6 males) consisted of elementary preservice teachers who were at the end of their third year of collegiate study at a mid-sized southeastern university. The Style Analysis Survey was administered to determine learning style preferences. The SAS is a 110-item instrument designed to identify how individuals prefer to learn, concentrate, and perform in both educational and work environments (Oxford, 1995). The instrument uses a Likert scale with the following responses: 0= never, 1= sometimes, 2= very often, and 3 = always. The five major categories assessed are (a) Category 1--using physical senses (visual, auditory, hands-on), (b) Category 2--dealing with people (extroverted vs. introverted), (c) Category 3--handling possibilities (intuitive vs. concrete-sequential), (d) Category 4--approaching tasks (closure-oriented vs. open), and (e) Category 5--dealing with ideas (global vs. analytic). If the subject's scores in each category were within 2 points of each other, he/she was considered to be combinations of each category. For example, in category 5, subjects may be categorized as global, analytic, or global/analytic depending on the closeness of their scores. Oxford (1995) stressed that learning style preferences are based on a continuum not a dichotomy. People hover over different places on the continuum and that place is where each person feels more comfortable (McCarthy, 1987).

Results

In Category 1, almost one-third (31%) of the preservice teachers were classified mainly as visual learners (Table 1). Approximately 7% of preservice teachers were mainly auditory learners and 13% were classified mainly as tactile learners. The remaining teachers (50%) were classified into various combinations of these three learning styles. When all subcategories showing any inclination toward one the three styles were combined, the results were as follows: 72% visual, 50% tactile, and 43% auditory. Thus, 72% of all elementary preservice teachers indicated a proclivity for visual learning.