Relationships among learning styles, instructional methods, and the nature of learning experiences.

Abstract

Examined whether learning might be enhanced by employing instructional methods which differ in design and use as a function of learner characteristics. 2 separate subject-matter areas which represent 2 distinctly different learning situations were selected for investigation. 2 separate courses were developed for each subject-matter area. 1 reflects an inductive instructional approach and the other a deductive method. Each of the 4 courses was administered to 55-60 Navy enlisted men. 28 measures of aptitude, interest, and personality were obtained on each S. The primary finding is the significant (p < .001) interaction among instructional methods, learner characteristics, and subject matters. This strongly supports the existence of learning styles. (21 ref.)

Learning Styles among Gifted/Talented Students: Instructional Technique Preferences

“…The immediate value to educators of research findings on cognitive style was further challenged by Satterly and Brimer (1971, p. 302) who claimed that "there are at present no convincing empirical data relating predisposition to a style of thinking with the characteristics of a learning situation or with educational objectives." Results of research by Tallmadge and Shearer (1969) suggested that the correlates of learning styles are noncognitive rather than cognitive characteristics.…”

Interactions between Instructional Methods and Styles of Concept Learning

“…These two teaching strategies have interacted with measures of general mental ability CLT Scores (1,2,3,12,30,36,41), verbal ability (26,27), deductive and inductive reasoning abilities (11,25), sex (2,34,40), anxiety (5,37,38,39) and extroversion (28,43). Because deductive and inductive methods are widely advocated and practiced, their effects among different students need to be examined further.…”

Trait-Treatment Interaction and Learning

“…Cronbach and Snow (1969) have reviewed some studies in this area (Becker, 1967;Dunham & Bunderson, 1968;Hutchinson, 1963;Peters, 1968;Tanner, 1968). Tallmadge and Shearer (1971) followed up leads from previous research (Tallmadge, 1968;Tallmadge & Shearer, 1969) dealing with anxiety by treatment interaction. On a composite anxiety predictor, low anxious subjects scored significantly higher on a criterion test than did high anxious subjects in an expository deductive treatment.…”