Mathematics, Learning Disabilities, and Learning Styles: A Review of Perspectives Published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Abstract

Learning styles is the idea that there are unique ways in which individuals approach learning and process information. Though refuted, the idea of learning styles has not declined in peer-reviewed reports of empirical studies or teacher/practitioner resources. Some reports have also used learning styles as a tool for improving the mathematics education of students with learning disabilities—an area of interest for mathematics education and special education communities alike. In this paper, we review articles published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to investigate the perspectives of learning styles at the intersection of mathematics education and learning disabilities. Analyses highlight the relationship between mathematics education, learning disabilities, and learning styles, and the varied meanings and perspectives of the articles’ authors. Of note is both the perpetuation of unfounded concepts and the lackluster response to explicit contests of the idea of learning styles.

Misconceptions of mathematics in higher education universities when learning with Google classroom based on learning styles and gender differences

“…However, the search results do not provide any information on whether there are differences in math conceptual errors between students with different learning styles when using Google Classroom specifically. Further research may be needed to explore this question (Joswick, Skultety & Olsen, 2023;Cardino & Ortega-Dela-Cruz, 2020).…”

Persistence of Conceptual Errors in First-Year University Physics Course and Its Possible Relationship with Learning Styles

“…Within this reasoning, the different LS give information on the tendency toward certain ways of learning, something that is always useful to let the students reflect on their own learning. Likewise, it has been shown the usefulness of the knowledge of the LS of students with disabilities in order to facilitate their teaching-learning process [48].…”