ABSTRACT

Learning is such a fundamental process that it is often in danger of being assumed and therefore taken for granted. In an ideal world how people learn could easily be defined and there would be an accepted method for recognizing when and where it has occurred. However, as with much of learning and teaching, it is not that simple. To compound these difficulties, variations in how people learn are often not acknowledged and teachers assume that, if they present information logically and produce enough notes and materials, all will learn effectively. If we follow this logic two people of roughly the same age and intellect and exposed to the same teaching environment could be expected to respond similarly to a lesson: but they do not. This suggests that people vary not only in their ability to learn but also in their style. So whilst individuals may share characteristics, the attitudes and behaviours that determine their preferred way of learning differ. These individual personal preferences can appear in isolation, whilst others are context-specific. If individuals are left to act independently, Cashdan and Lee (1971) found that they will tend towards these styles across a range of situations. Despite this, few can articulate their own learning style other than a vague notion of what they are comfortable with and how they learn more effectively. For teachers helping people become more effective learners, the case for acknowledging the importance of these styles should therefore be self-evident.