Page 10 - ELG1705 May Issue 447

RESEARCH NEWS

Debunked

‘learning styles’

theory still part of

gold-standard EFL qualifications

But Cambridge English has now pledged to remove

the phrase from Celta and Delta syllabuses

By: Claudia Civinini
ambridge English Language As- of learning styles, saying it is ‘a concept which Professor Paul Kirschner from the Open
sessment has been referring to the teachers should be aware of, alongside other Universiteit in the Netherlands – a vocal
concept of ‘learning styles’ in its concepts’, and that teachers should use ‘a opponent of the theory – compared it to as-
Celta and Delta EFL qualifications variety of teaching methods’. (See response trology or homeopathy. ‘No one would think
Ceven though the theory has long below.) that doctors should be trained in homeopa-
been debunked by academics, it has emerged. The theory says students learn best thy,’ he said. ‘Urban legends such as learning
The Cambridge English Teaching Frame- if taught in their preferred style – most styles should not be part of the curriculum for
work, which underpins the two qualifications, commonly visual, auditory or kinaesthetic, teachers.’
contains references to learning styles – ‘visual, although an ‘olfactory’ variant exists. In March the Guardian newspaper pub-
auditory, kinaesthetic’ – under the competency Authors and Celta and Delta teacher train- lished a letter signed by thirty educational
area ‘understanding learners’. ers Carol Lethaby and Patricia Harries told psychologists and neuroscientists, including
Teacher trainers have confirmed that the Gazette that some teachers now openly four from Cambridge, insisting that there
trainees on these courses have been required to express their disagreement with the theory in was no evidence to back the idea of learning
show an awareness of their students’ learn- their course assignments, but the majority still styles.
ing style, both in their assignments and their believe in it. Trinity College London removed references
teaching practice. According to a recent survey they conduct- to learning styles from its Tesol syllabuses and
When the Gazette raised the issue, Cam- ed on 342 teachers across the US, Mexico, assessment criteria in 2016. The decision was
bridge English – a department of the Univer- Brazil and Canada, 90 per cent of teachers motivated by the lack of supporting evidence
sity of Cambridge – said it was in the process still believe in the learning styles theory, for the theory and by the awareness of its po-
of updating its course documentation, adding despite it being frequently debunked. tential detrimental effect on student learning,
that it would remove the phrase ‘learning This could be due to the fact that, beyond said Ben Beaumont, Trinity Tesol qualification
styles’ and replace it with ‘learning preferenc- Cambridge English, many teacher training manager. References to learning styles in the
es’. Cambridge English explained its inclusion programmes across the world make reference syllabuses have been substituted with ‘ways of
to the theory. learning’ and ‘learning strategies’.
One-style-per-student concept is ‘reductive and limiting’

Evelina Galaczi, head of ‘We believe that a prescriptive used to capture the fact that this varied teaching ‘toolbox’ which
research strategy at Cambridge one-style-per-student concept concept is not a simple binary personalises teaching to individual
English, explained why the is reductive and limiting. This dichotomy or a finite set of styles. needs, wants and preferences,
concept of ‘learning styles’ was is reflected in our materials and ‘We see learning preferences without being reductive. Our
included in their teacher training qualifications, which recommend as a core idea within adaptive/ approach is also based on a
syllabuses. that teachers use a variety of personalised learning and belief that learners exist in four
‘In the Cambridge English teaching methods rather than differentiated teaching. Different intersecting worlds of learning:
Teaching Framework and in the link specific learning methods to learning materials and teaching personal, educational, social and
Celta/Delta syllabuses, we refer specific learning styles. We are approaches add value to assessment, and the notion of
to “learning styles” as a concept currently updating our public learners in different ways, and learning preferences provides
which teachers should be aware documentation and the term the most effective and efficient insights into their personal and
of, alongside other concepts. “learning preferences” will be learning is achieved through a educational worlds.’

10 May 2017

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