How does teachers learning style affect on teaching practice? An explorative study.

Author(s):

Valeria Rossini(presenting / submitting)Serafina Manuela Pastore

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

10. Teacher Education Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

10 SES 10 B,

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-10

15:30-17:00

Room:

208.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

n.n. n.n.

Contribution

In lifelong learning perspective, school education aims help children to:

- Build a metacognitive way of thinking;

- Acquire critical competences;

- Participate actively to the development of society.

Teaching based on metacognitive strategies intends to promote greater control of cognitive and behavioral activities, as many authors have long highlighted (Brown & Palinscar, 1986; Kaniet & Aram, 1993; Cornoldi, 1996). In this perspective, it is important to know not only how students learn, but also how teachers learn: how they learn influences how they teach (Coombs Richardson, Arker, 2010).

“Learning styles” refer to individual differences in cognitive functioning and academic skills. This concept reflects differences in teacher’s personality, genetic and experiential differences. It mediates between motivation and emotion, on the one hand, and cognition, on the other. Learning styles are the preferred mode according to which different individuals learn; the more specific terms may be regarded as the predisposition to adopt a particular learning strategy regardless of the specific characteristics of the task. Keefe (1979) defines learning styles as the «composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment». Several studies have been carried out since the eighties of the last century on these issues (Kolb, 1984; Dunn & Dunn, 1999). However, a serious lack in methodology can be highlighted in this research field, for the difficulty to identify and measure cognitive styles.

It is in discussion, then, if these measures are really indicative of cognitive traits stable and generalized. From a practical point of view, at school it is important to learn how to use different strategies according to the tasks and situations, acquiring adequate cognitive flexibility. So, many educational programs are designed to help teachers support pupils towards learning goals through knowledge and control of their cognitive functioning. Fewer studies concern variables related to teachers, their representations and their learning styles.

The possible correlation between teachers’ and pupils’ styles has instead an important role in the effectiveness of teaching and in educational outcomes. What happens when teachers learn and teach in a way that is not in line with the pupils’ learning style? There are some differences between school levels? Starting from this framework, this study aims to:

- Invite teachers to know their own teaching and learning styles;

- Reflect on how teaching and learning styles affect their teaching practice.

Method

This is and explorative study based on teachers’ styles and implications in teaching practice. Three questionnaires have been administered to 54 teachers of pre-primary, primary and high school. The first instrument is the “Questionnaire of metacognition and attention” «QMAI» teacher version (Marzocchi, Poli & Molin, 2000). This questionnaire aims to explain how teachers perceive the attention, how they promote pupil’s attention and what kind of strategies they use to deal with attention deficit in their classroom. Collected answers have been differentiated according to two variables: teachers’ years of experience and school level. The second tool is “The Learning Styles Questionnaire” (Mariani, 2000), that involves three areas: - sensory modalities; - cognitive styles; - choosing between individual and collaborative work. The aim of the questionnaire is to gather information about teachers’ learning styles, and to help them to be aware of their way of teaching in relation to their individual profiles. The third tool is “The Teaching styles Questionnaire” (Mariani, 2000). It helps to choose and to reflect about the best teaching style for to make changes in instructional design and teaching practice according to each classroom context. It encourages reflection and discussion between teachers and students, helps students to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, use effective strategies. A descriptive analysis of variables (absolute and relative frequencies) has been realized.

Expected Outcomes

This study confirms the importance of a metacognitive teaching, exalting teachers’ abilities to promote student’s involvement in designing, implementing and assessing lessons. So, for teachers the most important thing is to value individual differences in the classroom, starting from students’ differences in grasping cognitive tasks. Research results show that there is a correlation between learning and teaching styles. Teachers preferences in relation to certain strategies influence the choice of educational models. Teachers’ strategies should be more or less functional to pupils’ learning characteristics. Therefore, it is important to investigate the relationship between pupils’ learning performance and teaching styles of teachers. Teachers’ styles are related to learning styles and motivation to teach. In a metacognitive perspective, the differentiation of teaching and learning processes within classrooms, more and more characterized by super-diversity (Vertovec, 2007) is important for improvement of teaching effectiveness. Using a learning-styles based teaching is useful to differentiate instruction: the identification of students’ learning approaches can help teachers to implement different strategies for the benefit of different learners. «Differentiated instruction has become part of every school system’s lexicon but without learning styles as its cornerstone, no one knows how to differentiate instruction or on what to base differentiation» (Dunn & al., 2009, 139). Moreover, these aspects are closely linked to the representations that teachers have of teaching, the school and the relationship with the students. The approach to teaching is therefore an important variable to define the quality of the school, and should be a key content for professional development.

References

Albanese O., Doudin P. A., Martin D. (2003). Metacognizione ed educazione. Processi, apprendimenti, strumenti. Milano: Franco Angeli. Antonietti, A. (2013). Psicologia del pensiero. Bologna: il Mulino. Boscolo, P. (2006). Psicologia dell'apprendimento scolastico. Aspetti cognitivi e motivazionali. Torino: UTET. Brown, A. L. (1980). Metacognitive development and reading. In R. S. Spiro, B. B. Bruce, & W. L. Brewer (Eds.), Theoretical issues in reading comprehension. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Coombs Richardson, R., Arker, E. (2010). Personalities in the classroom: making the most of them. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 76-81. Cornoldi, C. (1995). Metacognizione e apprendimento. Bologna: il Mulino. Dunn, R. & Dunn, K. (1999). The complete guide to the learning styles inservice system. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Keefe, J.W. (1979). Student learning styles. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals. Mariani, L. (2000). Portfolio. Strumenti per documentare e valutare cosa si impara e come si impara. Bologna: Zanichelli. Marzocchi, G. M., Molin, A., Poli, S. (2000). Attenzione e metacognizione. Come migliorare la concentrazione della classe. Trento: Erickson. Palinscar, A. & Brown, A. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, I (2), 117-175. Rossini, V. (2007). Educare ad apprendere. Un approccio psicopedagogico. Milano: Guerini. Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stewart, K.L., Felicetti, L.A. (1992). Learning styles of marketing majors. Educational Research Quarterly, 15(2), 15-23. Vertovec S. (2007). Super-diversity and its implications. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30: 6, 1024-1054

Author Information

Valeria Rossini (presenting / submitting)

University of Bari, Italy

Serafina Manuela Pastore