I’ve Got Style…What’s Your Style? Matching Students With Their Learning Style An Action Research Peta-Gaye Grey Edu Spring 2010

Table of Content Abstract Introduction - Statement of the Problem 3 -Review of Related Literature Statement of the Hypothesis 15 Method -Participants (N) 16 -Instrument(s) 17 -Experimental Design -Procedure Results Discussion Implications References Appendix (ces) 21-26

Statement of the Problem  Educators, Practitioners and Researchers agree that all children can learn, but not all children learn in the same way. Even though we believe this, many of us are not embracing the idea or implementing a change.

Theorist Howard GardnerRita & Kenneth Dunn According to multiple intelligence theory, there are nine basic types of intelligence. Identification of key learning styles of each student and matching instruction and learning activities with each student's styles.

Pros  We know teaching to the students’ learning style will improve scores (Dunn & Dunn, 1992; Searson & Dunn, 2001)  Teachers deliver content in ways that better match students’ strengths. This leads to increase academic performance and improved attitudes towards school (Beglane, 2001; Dunn et al. 2009; )

Cons Ivie (2009) states “ most of the supporting research cited by the Dunns comes from their own in-house studies of faculty who finished their doctoral work at St. John ’ s University. Few of this studies meet the standard of having been published in peer- reviewed journals.

Cons  The application of learning style theory encompasses three pervasive problems: confusion in definitions, weakness in measurement reliability and validity and identification of relevant learner characteristics (Curry, 1990).

Cons  It is obvious from the different ideas of researchers that this could be problematic. The type of teaching method would depend on the framework used to determine students’ learning styles. They observe that learning style might best be described as situational, that is, depending on the particular situation in which the learning occurs. Moreover, they argue that many of the self-report inventories fail to differentiate between learners ("Individual differences and learning styles", 2003).

Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model

Review of Related Literature  The Search for Style: It All Depends on Where You Look. (Tendy & William, 1997)  Learning How They Learn: A Review of the Literature on Learning Styles. (Wilson, 1998)  A Meta-Analytic Validation of the Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning-Style Preferences. (Dunn, Griggs, Olson & Beasley, 1995)

Related Literature  Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research Based on the Dunn and Dunn Model. (Lovelace, 2005)  Learning Style-Based Teaching to Raise Minority Students Test Scores- There’s No Debate! (Burke & Dunn, 2002)  The Impact of Learning Styles on Achievement in Principles of Microeconomics: A Natural Experiment. (Terregrossa, Englander & Englander, 2009)

Related Literature  Principals Who Faced Obstacles to Learning Styles Instruction. (Beglane, 2001)  Eric Learns to Read: Learning Styles at Work. (Hodgin & Wooliscroft, 1997)  Meeting Individual Needs: A Learning Styles Success Story. (1992)

Related Literature  Impact of Learning-Styles Instructional Strategies on Students’ Achievement and Attitudes: Perceptions of Educators in Diverse Institutions. (Dunn, Honiggsfeld, Doolan, Bostrom, Russo, Schiering, Suh & Tenendero, (2009)  Matching Teaching Strategies to Learning Style Preferences. (Beck, 2008)  Learning Styles: Humpty Dumpty Revisited. (Ivie, 2009)

Related Literature  Strategies for Educating Diverse Learners. (Dunn, 1995)  19 Easy-to-Try Ways to Turn on Students. (Dunn, 1996)  Rita Dunn Answers Questions on Learning Styles. (Educational Leadership, 1990)

Statement of the Hypothesis  HR1: Integrating preferred learning styles over a six week period to 22 kindergarten students at PS X during work-times will increase on-task behavior and increase content knowledge.

Method  Participants (N)- The present study was conducted with twenty-two kindergarten students in Brooklyn, New York. The students are from an intact class from a school with middle-to-high income families. The class is evenly divided: 11 boys and 11 girls. Of all the students 65% were White, 30% were Black and 15% were Hispanic or Asian.

Method Instrument(s)- The Learning Style Inventory - Primary Version for children in kindergarten through grade two is a pictorial questionnaire. The Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Inventory (LSI) for youth in grades 3-12 is a 104-item self -report questionnaire that identifies 22 elements relating to the environmental, emotional, sociological, physical, and psychological preferences of the individual.

References  Beck, C. R. (2001). Matching Teaching Strategies to Learning Style Preferences. Teacher Educator, 37(1),  Begalane, E. T. (2001). Principles Who Faced Obstacles to Learning Styles Instructions. NASSP Bulletin, 85(627), Doi: /  Beliavsky, N. (2006). Revisiting Vygotsky and Gardner Realizing Human Potential [Electronic version], Journal of Aesthetic Education, 40(2),  Burke, K. & Dunn, Rita. (2002). Learning Style-Based Teaching to Raise Minority Student Test Scores- There ’ s No Debate, Clearing House, 76(2),  Carrier, S. J. (2009). Environmental Education in the Schoolyard: Learning Styles and Gender [Electronic version]. The Journal of Environmental Education, 40 (3),  Coffield, F. C. (2005). Kinaesthetic nonsense. Times Education Supplement, 14,  Curry, L. (1990). A critique of the research on learning styles. Educational Leadership, 49, 50-52,  DeBello, T. (1990). Comparison of eleven major learning styles models: Variables, appropriate populations, validity of instrumentation, and the research behind them. Journal of Reading, Writing, and Learning Disabilities International, 6,  Dunn, R. (1990). Rita Dunn answers questions on learning styles. Educational Leadership, 48(2),  Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1992). Teaching elementary students through their individual learning style: Practical approaches for grades 3-6. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ( DUN- Book)  Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1992). Teaching secondary students through their individual learning style: Practical approaches for grades Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ( DUN- Book)  Dunn, R. (1996). 19 Easy-to-try Ways to Turn on Students. Teaching Pre K-8, 27(3),  Dunn, R. (1998). Timing is Everything. Momentum, 29(4),  Dunn, R., Denig, S., & Lovelace, M. K. (2001). Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles: Two Sides of the Same Coin or Different Strokes for Different Folks? Teacher Librarian, 28(3).  Dunn, R., Griggs, S. A., Olson, J., & Beasley (1995). A Meta-Analytic Validation of the Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning-Style Preferences. The Journal of Educational Research, 88(6),

Reference  Dunn, R., Honigsfeld, A., Doolan, L. S., Bostrom, L., Russo, K., Schiering, M. S., Suh, B., & Tenedero, H. (2009). Impact of Learning-Style Instructional Strategies on Students ’ Achievement and Attitudes: Perceptions of Educators in Diverse Institutions. A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 82(3),  Duun, R., & Honigsfeld, A. (2006). WHAT IF CHILDREN WERE GROUPED FOR READING WITH LEARNING-STYLE RESPONSIVE APPROACHES? Reading Improvement, 43(2),  Dunn, R., & Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, B. (1995). Strategies for Educating Diverse Learners. Fastback 384. Retrieved from ERIC database  Griggs, S. A. (1991). Learning Styles Counseling. ERIC digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel Services. (ED Microfiche- Digest in ERIC Database)  Honigsfeld, A. & Schiering, M. (2004). Diverse Approaches to the Diversity of Learning Styles in Teacher Education, Educational Psychology, 24(4),  Hodgin, J., & Wooliscroft, C. (1997). Eric Learns to Read: Learning Styles at Work. Educational Leadership, 54(6),  “Individual differences and learning styles." Retrieved from the Internet 5/5/2010 from  Ivie, S. D. (2009). LEARNING STYLES: HUMPTY DUMPTY REVISITED. McGill JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, 44(2),  Lovelace, M. K. (2005). Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research Based on the Dunn and Dunn Model. Journal of Educational Research, 98(3),  Neely, R. O., & Alm, D. (1992). Meeting Individual Needs: A Learning Style Success Story. Clearing House, 66(2),  Searson, R. & Dunn, R. (2001). The Learning-Style Teaching Model. Science and Children, 38(5),

Reference  Shaughnessy, M. F. (1998). AN INTERVIEW WITH RITA DUNN ABOUT LEARNING STYLES. Clearing House, 71(3),  Tendy, S., & Geiser, W. (1997). The search for Style: It All Depends on Where You Look. Retrieved from ERIC database  Terregrossa, R., Englander, F., & Englander, V. (2009). The Impact of Learning Styles on Achievement in Principles of Microeconomics: A Natural Experiment. College Student Journal, 43(2),  Wilson, V. (1998). Learning How They Learn: A Review of the Literature on Learning Styles. Retrieved from ERIC database

Appendix A

Appendix B Initial Teacher Observation Checklist by Linda Loken Emery SOUND does quality work during quiet work time does quality work during regular work time does quality work during work time with music in background complains when there is too much sound present makes sounds or noises while working reminds others to be quiet while working DESIGN has difficulty sitting in position in circle-time arrangement enjoys lying down while watching television or listening to stories sits in chair correctly during work-time periods stands by work area at table during work-time periods

Appendix B Initial Teacher Observation Checklist by Linda Loken Emery STRUCTURE likes to complete a project independently after directions are given likes to complete a project step to step keeps work area neat tends to misplace supplies SOCIOLOGICAL likes to work or play with a group of classmates likes to work or play with teacher near likes to work or play alone creates opportunities to visit with teacher on a one-to-one basis

Appendix B Initial Teacher Observation Checklist by Linda Loken Emery RESPONSIBILITY AND PERSISTENCE quickly and neatly completes projects quickly but not neatly completes projects slowly and neatly completes projects sometimes does not complete projects works best when given specific instructions independently cleans up work area upon completion of task needs to be reminded to clean up work area upon completion of task easily distracted while working on a project remembers homework assignments MOBILITY is frequently out of chair during work periods often requests a drink of water or gets a tissue just to be able to move about the classroom is extremely active during free-play periods

Appendix B Initial Teacher Observation Checklist by Linda Loken Emery MOTIVATION works best with much assurance from others need teacher feedback while working does projects on own accord volunteers information about past experiences with discussion topics PERCEPTION enjoys looking at books, filmstrips, and television sits up from and is attentive during work time likes to listen to records or tapes during work time remembers well what others say likes to visit enjoys playing with toys with small pieces likes to draw or doodle enjoys physically moving around during work or play likes to create play situations and react to them

Appendix C Peta-Gaye T. Grey Brooklyn Friends School 375 Pearl Street Brooklyn, NY Dear Class X Parents, In addition to being a teacher at Brooklyn Friends School, I am also a student in the Brooklyn College Masters of Education Program. As part of this program, I will be conducting a research study to learn more the effect of identifying a students learning style and their academic achievement. The audience of this study is teachers, researchers and education practitioners. I would appreciate your permission to have your child be a part of this study. The study would require me to identify your child preferred learning style by doing a questionnaire and observation. Identifying your child’s learning style will help me to teach he/she the way they learn best which will increase academic achievement. Your child’s name will not appear in the study. Two copies of this request are enclosed. Please sign both copies and return on to me, keeping the other one for your files. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Peta-Gaye T. Grey

After Thought “Considering these findings, should the educational profession consider regular education unethical? It does seem “immoral and illegal for certified teachers to negatively classify children who learn differently, instead of teaching them the way the learn” (Dunn et al. 1991, 1)