Learning Styles and Instructional Strategies

1. Running Head: LEARNING STYLES AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 1
Article Critical Analysis Final:
Students’ Learning Style Preferences and Teachers’ Instructional Strategies: Correlations
between Matched Styles and Academic Achievement
MIST Team 5:
Sanad Shah, Sayed Nazari, Umer Farooq
CSU Monterey Bay
IST 520
Dr. Fischer
February 13, 2018

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Abstract
The purpose of this comprehensive paper is to provide a critical analysis of Mary Wilson’s
(2011) article “Students' learning style preferences and teachers' instructional strategies:
correlations between matched styles and academic achievement.” The article aims at identifying
and exploring specific learning styles that have direct impacts on students’ academic
achievement and also influence their learning process. The paper looks into the fact to see if
there was a correlation between the instructions the students receive in the classroom and the
learning style they have identified. It also tries to find out whether there was a correlation
between their learning style and the academic achievements they have had.
Keywords: Cognitivism, Learning Preferences, Teaching Strategies

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Introduction
In Mary Wilson’ (2011) article, the Theory of Learning Style was being used to identify
the correlation between the learning styles and high academic achievement. The author uses
quantitative research methods what she calls “correlational research” as he collected date from
more than two quantitative variables from the same group of participants. The purpose of the
research is to see if the students’ learning styles match with the academic achievements and
whether there is a match between the learners’ needs and their academic achievements.
Learning styles refer to not only one theory but a range of theories that try to understand
the differences among various learners. The term learning style, in short, suggests that each
individual learns differently and in a unique way. This can also be reflected in Cognitivism,
which focuses on students’ cognitive skills, and learning style preferences to master the given
subject. The teachers following Cognitivist approach mostly, focus on how learners process,
retain and recall the information they receive. These followers also believe that learners bring
unique perspectives and needs to the classroom and therefore be dealt with individually.
The researcher states all the hypotheses, questions and objectives very clearly. The aim of
the study is to look into whether there is a significant relationship between the students’
preferred learning styles and their academic achievements of fourth grade students in English
language art, mathematics, science and social studies. The author believes that there should be a
strong correlation between the students’ preferred learning styles and their academic
achievements of fourth grade students in English language art, mathematics, science and social
studies. However, no significance statistical evidence was found to prove the above-mentioned
correlation. The strong support on the part of the researcher for the correlation between learning
style and the students’ success shows her negative bias regarding the subject. The researcher

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through extensive literature review makes a strong point that though there is a disagreement
among the scholars in the field of education whether learning styles play any role in how we
learn, yet there is a strong need for further study.
Research Methods
The author primarily used correlational research methods, which is also described as a
quantitative research method. The procedures, the researcher used in her study, reflect data
collection, organization, and statistical analysis to determine the relationship and patterns
between the learning styles and academic achievement. The researcher selected a sample size of
200 students from schools within close proximity to the researcher’s home location. Though he
had a wide range of students but probably from the same demographic location. The researcher
selected a convenience sample of students for this research.
The researcher had the students and teachers complete learning style inventories and
collected achievement data from the school. The researcher put together the learning styles and
achievement data to perform necessary statistical analysis. The researcher also got necessary
approvals from the school administration and learners’ parents. Besides collecting learning style
data, the author collected instructional strategy data by asking teachers questions about the
strategies they use. The researcher also put together students’ achievement data and scores and
the degree of matched scores.
The measurements were valid and reliable. The author used the “Mental Measurement
Yearbook database” as a source of measurement “for learning style returning 20 results” (p.25).
The total number of instruments used was eighteen out of which only six instruments, which
were designed for that particular purpose, were used for assessing and measuring learning styles
of the elementary students (p. 25). Only two instruments were designed and used to assess

5. LEARNING STYLES AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 5
teachers (based on teaching strategies). However, none of the instruments had favorable reviews
due to some kind of ambiguities in terms of reliability and validity. The research procedures
were described appropriately and clearly and could be replicated by other researchers. The
procedures were pointing towards some positive and negative consequences in the field of
learning styles that can be used a foundation for further research, possibly with better results
(Wilson, 2011).
Research Results
In order to obtain accurate information and data, the author used appropriate statistical
techniques. Descriptive data and correlational statistics were presented directly to the academic
content area such as, “English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies”
(Wilson, 2011, p.3). For the content area of English language arts, the researcher did not reject
the null hypothesis because the data collected was insufficient as the results of analysis failed to
meet the limitations set for statistical significance. For the math class, statistical analysis
indicated a correlation of r= .13 with the significance level of p = .857 and “this prevented the
author form rejecting the null hypothesis that the relationship between the degree of match as
determined by comparing preferences of students with instructional strategies of teacher)
and the achievement of fourth grade mathematics students.” The researcher presented
relevant figures as well to help readers’ understanding in a visualized way of the data and
statistical analysis.
The authors used the correlation design or method to analyze a person’s values and data
for each content at the individual level. As a result, lack of significant correlation between

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variables was noted. The author focused on comparing learners’ learning styles and teachers’
instructional strategies to find a significant connection between them.
Based on the results, the Learning Theory lacks practical application and fail to recognize
the importance of learning styles and various types of intelligence. They help to change
instructional strategies to motivate learners to gear their learning efforts towards attaining
academic achievements (Wilson, 2011).
Discussion of Results
The findings did not demonstrate any correlation between students’ achievement and
degree of match in learning style preferences. The study found that 97% of the students were
kinesthetic but the teachers were not fulfilling their needs as they were just presenting materials
using visual and aural approaches. Educators largely stick to one teaching method despite the
fact that they know that they are teaching a class of students who do not only come from
diversified social background but they also exhibit diversity when it comes to how they learn.
The researcher also states that these teachers try to transmit information to each student equally
without understanding that each of their students process information differently. The questions
regarding correlation of the students’ preferred learning styles and their academic achievement
with their teaching strategies is still unanswered because the teachers did not use right
instructional strategies to teach the kinesthetic learners.
The current study demonstrated obvious discrepancies and ambiguities between students’
learning style preferences and instructional strategies used by classroom instructors. The
variables, academic achievements, provided important information showing the different levels
and degrees of success in the same classroom even though, students were receiving instructions

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from the same instructor. The researcher provided reasonable explanations of her finding, which
was mainly discussed based on the relevant research.
The researcher discussed the implications of her findings in the educational practices.
The researcher feels that incorporating learning styles research will help teachers and students
develop awareness about diversified characteristics of each individual learner. The author also
talked about limitations of such study and provided a platform for future and further research.
The implications she discussed and drew were about having access to limited methodological
and material source that can help instructors creating and planning various forms and types of
instructional activities that create autonomous learning.
Summary
The current study, in the light of the research and the data collected from various
students, fails to clearly reject the null hypothesis, that there is a strong correlation between the
learners’ learning preferences and their academic achievements. The study also recommended
further investigations in the field of learning style preferences and teaching strategies with
precautions to pay attention specifically, to the design and data ambiguities exposed in the form
of discrepancy, in the current study (Wilson, 2011).
Such ambiguities led the researcher to unsuccessful experiences to test the hypotheses of
the connections or relationships between students’ learning style preferences and teachers’
teaching strategies. The findings could promote attention to further investigate and see how
instructors could best deliver instructions that match students’ learning style preferences, as
recommended in the field of autonomous learning.

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References
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual review of
psychology, 52(1), 1-26.
Wilson, M. L. (2011). Students' learning style preferences and teachers' instructional strategies:
correlations between matched styles and academic achievement. Liberty University.
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