Teaching Style vs. Student Learning Style and Performance Does it Matter?

by the compatibility of his or her learning style and the instructor’s teaching style.” 1 Also, “Research supports the concept that most teachers teach the way they learn.” 2 The initial hypothesis being that if teachers teach the way they learn and if students learn better from those whose teaching style more closely matches their learning style then students whose learning style matches the learning style of their instructors should, as a whole, perform better than those whose learning styles are more different. Performance in this case was based on the student’s final grade in the course. So using the above survey three instructors and their associated students, 224 total, took the Index of Learning Styles survey. The hypothesis then was that those whose scores more closely matched those of their instructors would on average end up with a better grade in the class and vice-versa. The conclusion determined that as a whole no statistically significant correlation exists. In some cases and breakdowns of the population some interesting correlations do exist in which it is interesting to speculate why or really what is affecting them. Nevertheless, the bottom-line is that a good instructor should be able to vary his or her teaching style in a manner in which it caters to many learning styles by offering students more than one perspective or way of looking at a topic. This reinforces the learning taking place and also helps the students grow as learners for a future of life-long learning.