The stubborn myth of ‘Learning Styles’ in education and why it survives

Pertains to the wrong approaches to teach reading, too

 Back in April 2020, Education Next published a report from researcher William Furey about The Stubborn Myth of ‘Learning Styles.’ In it, Furey challenges a commonly used teaching approach in Kentucky known as “the debunked theory of ‘learning styles,’ which holds that matching instruction to students’ preferred mode of learning—seeing, listening, or physically engaging in content-aligned activities, for example—is beneficial.”

Per Furey:

“There is no evidence that designing lessons that appeal to different learning styles accelerates student learning.”

But, still the method persists. Why?

Furey provides an interesting explanation. It turns out that questions about learning styles for teaching still are present on the exam prospective teachers in Kentucky must pass to get their certification. With questions still on the tests, education schools feel obligated to continue teaching this even though it isn’t supported by research.

And, similar nonsense impacts reading instruction, too. Furey’s article also says:

“Consider a similar mismatch between research and practice: reading instruction at U.S. schools. Because the vast majority of teachers did not learn the science of reading in their preparation programs, they rely on common practices and word of mouth to teach reading once they reach the classroom. As a result, “whole language”-style instruction masquerading under the name “balanced literacy” remains popular, despite ample research pointing the way toward a more systematic, effective method of instruction. Meanwhile, one in three American 4th graders cannot read at a basic level.”

Furey hits on bad reading instruction, too.

This all ties in with our report, just released yesterday, about What Milton Wright knew about reading instruction, but lots of teachers apparently don’t.

Our report shows how inappropriate practices for the teaching of reading are followed in many Kentucky schools of education and how using the wrong stuff to teach reading is holding back hundreds of thousands of Kentucky’s children. Meanwhile, as also discussed in our new report, in another state, Mississippi, rigorous implementation of solid, research-based reading practices has moved both white and Black students’ reading performances from behind to ahead of the Bluegrass State.

It’s time for Kentucky to stop chasing fad education ideas and adopt what solid research shows really works best in education. And, per Furey’s research, that includes insuring that tests our student teachers have to take are looking for the right stuff, and only the right stuff, too.