The document outlines a study on learning styles in teaching English as a foreign language to 7th graders at Liceo Rural La Aldea, focusing on the necessity of adapting teaching methodologies to meet students' individual interests and needs. The research aims to determine appropriate learning strategies, describe current learning styles, and propose pedagogical actions that enhance English acquisition. Additionally, it identifies challenges faced by teachers in implementing these strategies and emphasizes the importance of using diverse and engaging activities to facilitate meaningful learning.

1. UNIVERSIDAD MAGISTER
FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN
CARRERA DE LICENCIATURA EN LA ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS
MEMORIA DE SEMINARIO DE GRADUACIÓN PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE
LICENCIATURA EN LA ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS
STUDY OF THE LEARNING STYLES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS
A FOREING LANGUAGE FOR 7TH GRADERS AT LICEO RURAL
LA ALDEA, HEREDIA, 2017
DIANA SCOTT CASTILLO
DEYBER PEÑA LÓPEZ
ENERO,2018

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
How to get a meaningful learning process in
teaching English as a Foreign Language
through learning styles methodology based on
interest and needs of 7th graders at Liceo Rural
La Aldea?
This investigation pretends to show the
theory of the Learning Styles and the
importance of applying it in the
learning-teaching process.
The need to provide current didactic
strategies, in accordance to the learning
styles, manifested by the 7th graders in a
new educational approach demanded by
Ministerio de Educación Pública
The instructor should know and apply
learning styles in order to adapt lesson plans
covering different activities.
Justification

3. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
 To determine learning styles methodologies based on the
interest and needs of the 7th graders for getting a meaningful
learning process in teaching English as a Foreign Language
at Liceo Rural La Aldea, 2017

4. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 To describe the approach demanded by MEP and its relation
with the learning styles promoting proper strategies based on
the interest and needs of 7th graders.
 To identify the current learning styles of the 7th graders
through the application of tests for promoting learning
strategies and meeting their interest and needs.

5.  To determine current learning strategies of 7th graders for
teaching English as a foreign language according to the
learning styles based on the interest of the students.
 To propose a set of activities to implement a pedagogic action
based on the learning styles, needs and preferences of the
students in order to facilitate the English acquisition.

6. VARIABLES
 Relationship between the approach demanded by MEP and
learning styles.
 Current learning styles of 7th graders.
 Current learning strategies of 7th graders.

7. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

8.  Located in Llanuras del
Gaspar which was founded
in 2003. This community has
a population of 500 hundred
inhabitants and the majority
of the students come from
towns such as Lagunilla,
Pueblo Nuevo, Gaspar,
Fatima and San Antonio, Isla
Calero who see the
opportunity to succeed
attending to this institution.
LICEO RURAL LA ALDEA

9. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

10. EDUCATION OF ENGLISH AS A
FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN COSTA
RICA.
THE EDUCATIONAL POLICY.
DEVELOMENT OF THE FOUR
LINGUISTIC ENGLISH SKILLS IN
TEACHING ENGLISH AS A
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
LISTENING
SPEAKING
READING
WRITING
THE NEW ENGLISH
CURRICULUM FOR
SEVENTH GRADERS
FROM MEP

11. THEORY OF THE LEARNING STYLES
 According to Gentry (1999). The learning styles refers to “those preferred
strategies that are more specific ways to gather, interpret, organize and
think about new information (Gravini, & Diazgranados, 2008, p9.)”
Perez (1997) states,
 “There are two parts of the brain that captures and transforms reality: the
right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. The first one, are intuitive and
concrete people, the second one are the ones who use the left hemisphere,
so they are rational thinkers” (p 8.)”

12. WAYS OF PERCEIVING THE INFORMATION.

13. WAYS TO SORT THE INFORMATION ACCORDING TO THE MIND STYLES

14. CLASSIFICATION OF LEARNING STYLES
CONCRETE
SEQUENCIAL
• Gregorc (1984). arguments that people with this style “are organized, planners and enjoy
when the teacher tells them what they need to do and then give them time to work on it”
ABSTRACT
SEQUENTIAL (AS)
• “ Is developed in people who prefer to work alone, these learners are individualistic in the
way of thinking and acting”.
CONCRETE
RANDOM (CR)
• “Rather than a plan, they want options”. “impulsive people that focus on practical
application in the process by using the creativity”.
ABSTRACT
RANDOM (AR)
• “Learning style is based on feelings, they tend to think that the feeling of the people make a
deal of difference; therefore they got the group to work well together and make it fun”

15. Scarcella and oxford (1992) “Specific actions, steps,
a techniques used by students to enhance their own
learning (p. 63.)”
 THE COOPERATIVE LEARNING- COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
 ROLE PLAYS
 GAMES AND KINESTHETIC ACTIVITIES
 IMPRUNTU CONVERSATION AND IMPRUNTUP SPEECH
 VISUAL AIDS AND LISTENING ACTIVITIES
 READING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING STRATEGIES

16. METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

17. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
“Description of the state of affairs as it exists at present,
the main characteristic of this method is that the
researcher has no control over the variables; he can
only report what has happened or what is happening.
(p.4.)”
MIXED APPROACH
“Involves collecting data in a single study or in a
series of studies that investigate the same
underlying phenomenon. (p.265) This integration
permits a more complete and synergistic utilization
of data than do separate quantitative and
qualitative..

18. SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION
According to Barrantes (2006) he mentions
that “the subjects are all natural or corporate
people that provide information (p. 92.)” This
research project is carrying on the students of
the 7th grade at Liceo Rural la Aldea.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Primary (First and original information)
Secondary (Previous studies )
Population (seventy-three students, five teachers of the different
subjects and three administrative staff.)
Sample (twenty-one students from seventh grade)
TECHNICAL INSTRUMENTS
TO COLLET DATA
Observation
Interview
Questionnaires

19. DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLES
 Relationship between the approach demanded by MEP and the learning styles.
Operational definition: The analysis of this variable will permit to know the new approach demanded by MEP
and its relation to learning styles. Furthermore, it will allow to see if the teacher is applying the new curriculum
in the English class of seventh graders at Liceo Rural la Aldea.
Instrumental definition: A checklist to assess by observation has been prepared.
 Current learning styles of 7th graders at Liceo Rural La Aldea
Operational definition: The analysis of this variable helps to know each student´s learning style.
Instrumental definition: The variable will be measure by a valid test and questionnaires applied to students.

20.  Current learning strategies of 7th graders
Operational definition: The analysis of this variable will allow to know the learning
strategies that students prefer and the activities in which they would like to have in
order to learn a foreign language.
Instrumental definition: In order to evaluate this variable, a set of different open
questions for a directed interview has been done to find out the learning strategies
used in the class by the teacher and a questionnaire has been established to apply to
the students in part II of the questionnaire from question #1 to question # 9.

21. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS

22. ANALYSIS OF THE OBSERVATION
Current Approach demanded by MEP
It is clear that the teacher is working with the new curriculum taking
into account the steps to teach each theme.
The Oriented approach demands a meaningful interaction in the
target language with natural communication.
Most of them work with the assignments and participate in the
activities of the teacher. All of them show interest in entering to the
class despite of the classroom does not have windows neither
ceiling, ect.
Current Approach
demanded by MEP
Current
Learning
strategies
Current
Learning
styles

23. CURRENT LEARNING STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS
Most of the students are about 12, 13 and 14 years old. Students youngers or under this age
benefit most of concrete activities.
Most of the assessment is done individually and it is based on what the they can do in real-life
situations but all the time they are asking to the teacher to work in groups or at least in pairs or
they ask for some games outside of the classroom maybe because the classroom is very hot.

24. ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEW
CURRENT LEARNING STRATEGIES
The teacher´s methodology is related to learning styles because the professor
takes in to account the teaching of the four abilities.
The professor does not apply the activities with order to stimulate first the right
hemisphere and then the left hemisphere.
The teacher is aware about that each student has different ways to learn, but
taking into account his group he thinks that they are the limitations to work with
learning styles because they are embarrassed about giving responses in
different activities.

25. GRAPH N° 1 KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR OWN WAY TO LEARN
Source: Chart N° 1
24%
76%
Yes
No
CURRENT LEARNING
STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS
ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONAIRES

26. GRAPH N° 2 LEARNING STYLES IN SEVENTH GRADERS
Source: Chart N° 2
19%
19%
62%
0%
Concrete Sequential Abstract Random
Concrete Random Abstract Sequential
CURRENT LEARNING
STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS

27. CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS
GRAPH N° 3 FREQUENCY IN THE CLASS PARTICIPATION
Source: Chart N° 3
43%
38%
19%
0%
Always
Often
Sometimes
Never

28. GRAPH N° 4 GAMES AND KINESTHETIC ACTIVITIES
Source: Chart N° 4
67%
19%
14%
Strongly agree Partially agree Partially disagree
CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS

29. GRAPH N° 5 IMPROMPTU DIALOGUES AND ROLE PLAYS
Source: Chart N° 5
52%
24%
19%
5%
Strongly agree
Partially agree
Partially
disaagree
Strongly
disagree
CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS

30. GRAPH N°6 VISUAL AIDS AND LISTENING ACTIVITIES
Source: Chart N° 6
67%
14%
10%
10%
Strongly agree Partially agree
Partially disagree Strongly disagree
CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS

31. GRAPH N°7 TRADITIONAL READINGS AND WRITING ACTIVITIES IN BOOKS
OR COPIES.
Source: Chart N° 7
10%
33%
52%
5%
Strongly agree Partially agree
Partially disaagree srongly disagree
CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS

32. GRAPH N°8 PREFERENCES OF THE STUDENTS TO WORK IN GROUPS OR IN
PAIRS
Source: Chart N° 8
62%
38%
0% 0%
Strongly agree Partially agree
Partially disagree Strongly disagree
CURRENT LEARNING
STRATEGIES OF 7TH
GRADERS

33. CONCLUSIONS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE APPROACH DEMANDED BY MEP AND THE LEARNING STYLES
 Working with this new curriculum is a real challenge for the teachers
 Ministry of Education since 2009 in the syllabus presents the theory of the learning styles
 Develop communicative competences making use of the four linguistic skills
CURRENT LEARNING STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS
 Learning styles play an important place because it permits to teachers to elaborate a methodology using
diverse activities that allow students to use the two parts of the brain and at the same time to develop the
four skills.
 It is important to prepare different materials and activities to develop their students' learning process
according to the predominant styles.
 Each person is a unique learner. No one else learns in the same way other person does.

34. CURRENT LEARNING STRATEGIES OF 7TH GRADERS
 It is concluded that most of the teachers lack of the necessary training for applying the learning
styles trying to integrate them with the learning strategies.
 It is clear that the teacher puts into practice different learning strategies because the level of the
participation of students in the classroom is very high.
 Collaborative learning and peer teaching are god strategies to match these students.
 It is also assumed that teachers have enough sources to be aware of the learning strategies to
provide opportunities to students to develop communicative competence according to the styles that
present the group.
 According to the theory it is concluded that in a classroom where there are not students with
Abstract sequential style is better to avoid too much readings, theories and mental constructions

35. COST OF THE STUDY
ITEM QUANTITY UNITCOST
(COLONES)
TOTAL COST
(COLONES)
TOTAL COST
(DOLLARS)
Photocopies 600 15 9.000 15,87
Professional hours 150 13600 2.040.000 3610,80
Transportation 20 10000 200.000 352,83
Food and beverages 26 3500 91.000 160,54
Total 2.140.000 4140,04

36. RECOMMENDATIONS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE APPROACH DEMANDED BY MEP AND THE LEARNING
STYLES
 The teacher must continuous working with the same energies and enthusiasm.
 Do not hesitate about using the new curriculum and developing each of the tasks. Task
provides a purpose for using the language in a real context rather than just isolated items
 The syllabus is a flexible guide to plan the classroom activities. This is not a recipe to be
followed.
 Add language patterns, functions, values, procedures and evaluation activities based on what
the students can do according to each group progress.

37. CURRENT LEARNING STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS
 Ask to the principal for a specific classroom with better conditions and with electricity service.
 Be more creative and dynamic doing activities.
 Work from the right hemisphere of the brain, and then the left hemisphere, developing the four
skills of the English language.
CURRENT LEARNING STRATEGIES OF 7TH GRADERS
 Continue working to encourage his students in the learning process using a variety of activities
that students like most according to their style.
 Students must remember that everybody makes errors in the learning of a foreign language.
 Use cooperative learning strategy and remember that is not the group configuration that
makes cooperative learning distinctive, is the way that students and teachers work together
that is important.

38. PROPOSAL OF A WORKSHOP FOR ENGLISH
TEACHERS ACCORDING TO THE LEARNING
STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS

39. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
 To develop a workshop for English teachers relating learning styles of 7th
graders according to the needs of the students at Liceo Rural la Aldea, 2017
SPECIFIC OBJETIVES
 To develop a presentation to explain the Theory of the learning styles in
English teaching for 7th graders.
 To propose the implementation of pedagogic action based on learning styles
and activities that meet the needs of 7th graders.

40. PHASE 1 RELEASE AND EXPLANATION OF THE RESULT FROM
THE TEST OF THE LEARNING STYLES TO 7TH GRADERS
1WORKSHOP Nº1: IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE OWN LEARNING STYLE
FIGURE Nº3: IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING MY LEARNING STYLE WORKSHOP
Source: Peña, Deyber and Scott, Diana (2017)
aprender.
A. PERSONAL
 Increases your self-confidence and self-image
 Teaches you how to use your brain best
 Help you to recognize your strengths and weaknesses
 Help you to enjoy any learning process
 Inspires greater curiosity and motivation for lifelong learning
B. ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL
 Gives you techniques to score better on tests and exams
 Reduces the stress and frustration of learning experiences
 Expands your existing learning and studying strategies
 Help you to succeed in school, college, university

41. CHART Nº12 FRAMEWORK ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF THE REDOMINANT
STYLES OF 7TH
GRADERS
ORDERING/
ASSIMILATING
CONCRETE RANDOM/ CONCRETE
SEQUENTIAL
ABSTRACT RANDOM
Description Activities in common for having the say
way of Perceiving.
Some variations of the activities for
having a different way of perceiving but
the same way of assimilating
Appropriate
pedagogical
method
Clean and neat classroom. Make them
feel members of a team, consider the
semi-circles, U shapes as when you
need to present the topic. For other
activities choose to work in Groups.
Use small or Big creative tasks based
on what they can do and where the final
result matter most. Use realia method
in most of the cases or visual aids.
Clean and neat classroom. Make
them feel members of a team but
noncompetitive atmosphere. U
shapes as when you need to present
the topic. And the Cooperative
learning will work but let some
personalized tasks as autonomous
learning. Give personal attention
when it is needed and emotional
support.
Associated
learning
Strategies
Didactic
recourses
Source: Peña, Deyber and Scott, Diana (2017)
 Role playing
 Case study
 Mini Project designs
 Impromptu conversation or individual speech
 conducting surveys
 Writing comics
 Kinesthetic games
 Visual aids and Listening activities
 Peer teaching or cooperative learning
 Educational chat ( www.chatzy.com)
 Communication (what app, e-mail)
 Comics (www.makebeliefscomix.com)
 Making Videos
(www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/index.html)
 Search (Internet search)
 Videos (video bean, tv, computers)
 Songs (video bean, tv, computers)
 Dices / Puzzles
 Audiorecording
 Digital magazines
 Flash cards and slideshows
 amera
PHASE 2 DESIGNING A LEARNING
FRAMEWORK ACCORDING TO
STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS

42. PHASE 3 DESIGNING A LESSON PLANNING ACCORDING TO THE STYLES OF 7TH GRADERS
FIGURE Nº4: PROPOSAL OF PEDAGOGIC ACTION ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS
OF 7TH
GRADERS.
Source: Peña, Deyber and Scott, Diana (2017)
FIGURE Nº5: FAREWELL OF THE PROPOSAL OF PEDAGOGIC ACTION
ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF 7TH
GRADERS
Source: Peña, Deyber and Scott, Diana (2017)
WORKSHOP Nº2: PROPOSAL OF PEDAGOGIC ACTION ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF 7TH
GRADERS.

43. COST OF THE PROPOSAL
ITEM QUANTITY UNIT COST
(COLONES)
TOTAL COST
(COLONES)
TOTAL COST
(DOLLARS)
Photocopies 44 15 660 1,17
Professional hours 28 13600 380800 676,82
Transportation 2 10000 20.000 35,55
Food and beverages 24 1000 24.000 42,66
Total 425.460 756,2

44. STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSAL

45. IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSAL
 INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT
 COMMUNITARY IMPACT

46. OTHER STUDIES DERIVED
 LEARNING STYLES AND THEIR EFFECT ON STUDENT LEARNING.
 Kolb’s Learning styles inventory in 1981.
 Felder &Slverman in 1988.
 The most recent study in the year 1999 of Stern’s Thinking style Inventory.
 INTEGRATING STUDENT LEARNING STYLE AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA
ACCORDING TO THE CULTURE.
 Predicated on the concept that culture influences environmental perceptions.
 Incorporation of learning styles with electronic media