Introduction
Nowadays, just as decades before, education plays an essential role in people’s socialization, economic and social statuses, and career. Indeed, the better a person studies, the easier it is for them to acquire the necessary social and personal skills like decision-making, creativity, responsibility, time-management, and critical thinking. However, one can see a negative pattern in education facilities: more frequently, students receive information presented in the same way and get evaluated following the same criteria.
Nevertheless, people are different, and it may happen that two students perceive information via two different channels. For example, while one can perfectly process and memorize audio information, the other can remember pictures but fails to interpret audible data.
In other words, it is recommended for educators to use various learning styles, including the key four: visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic kinds (VARK). Both students and professors may be interested in defining the most effective learning style. The following literature review will focus on the comparison and contrast of the four approaches to learning techniques to define whether all of them are equally effective.
Literature Review
Necessity of the Four Learning Styles
To begin with, it is essential to define the learning styles and assess whether or not they are important for academic achievements and better performance. In their research, Mozaffari et al. (2020) explore the relationship between the VARK learning styles and students’ classroom skills. As noticed by the authors, “the learning style is defined as a combination of cognitive, emotional, and physiological traits that show how the learner perceives and responds to the learning environment” (Mozaffari et al., 2020, p. 15). Most students can perceive and process information equally effectively with the help of more than one style.
Further, all students have their own preferences in learning styles, which either foster or prevent their education successes. Thus, “understanding the learning style of learners can be effective in organizing and modifying the learning environment and teaching and learning process” (Mozaffari et al., 2020, p. 15). What is more, this understanding “becomes necessary to identify how learners concentrate, absorb, and transform the information they receive into knowledge” (Lizote et al., 2019, p. 1).
Consequently, if a style is selected incorrectly, it will be either extremely challenging or impossible for a student to achieve higher performance, memorize information, and acquire the necessary skills. This is the reason for distinguishing between the four learning styles, and this is why it is recommended for educators to be aware of this division and choose the appropriate style for their students.
Effectiveness of Visual Style
The visual style is one of the four main learning styles. According to Mozaffari et al. (2020), “visual learners learn through watching videos, images, and figures” (p. 15). It is necessary to notice that not all people can perceive and process visually presented information. For some, it is quite challenging to focus simultaneously on various aspects and areas of a drawing, figure, or video, and a major part of the presented data becomes forgotten immediately after the graphic source disappears (Mozaffari et al., 2020). Nevertheless, this learning style is quite important and beneficial because it may allow students to develop some useful skills and advance their perception of information.
For some students, it is more beneficial to base their academic program on a visual learning style, with the main presentation of information in flowcharts, diagrams, images, and interactive simulations. According to Raiyn (2016), students’ analytical thinking skills, including higher-order thinking, can be improved by using a visual learning style, which proves the latter’s effectiveness. Further, as noticed by the researcher, “75% of all information processed by the brain is derived from visual formats,” and “visual information is mapped better in students’ minds” (Raiyn, 2016, p. 115).
When students can see information, most of them tend to better perceive, process, and memorize it. What is more, another positive effect of the visual learning style is that it enables students to develop visual thinking – an ability to “understand and retain information better by associating ideas, words, and concepts with images” (Raiyn, 2016, p. 115). Consequently, it is possible to say that the mentioned advantages of the visual learning style prove its efficiency and positive effects.
Effectiveness of Auditory Style
Further, it is vital to explore the second learning style known as aural or auditory. Similar to the previously discussed learning style, this one is also approved and considered rather beneficial by researchers.
As stated by Kayalar and Kayalar (2017), the “auditory learning style enables auditory learners to learn best by hearing or through verbal communication” (p. 4). Such students can easily memorize the information they hear, as well as use auditory representation to perceive data. Loudness, pitch, and tone are the components essential for these students. The most frequently used sources of information are videos, audio, reading aloud, and conversations. It is noticeable that auditory learners find it rather easy to listen to professors giving lectures and do not necessarily need to write the information down to remember it.
The following are the key characteristics of auditory learners: “getting information by listening, preferring listening to reading or writing, having difficulty in communicating through body language and facial expressions” (Kayalar & Kayalar, 2017, p. 5). Some other characteristics are “having the ability to reproduce symbols letters or words by hearing them, finding written directions more difficult to follow than spoken ones, enjoying dialogues, plays, dictation, and to favor music” (Kayalar & Kayalar, 2017, p. 5). Further, in their research, the authors provide beneficial effects of auditory learning on students.
According to Kayalar and Kayalar (2017), such learners can actively participate in group discussions, learn by talking, be successful in language immersion learning, memorize facts easily, be more talkative, and build up more complex and comprehensive sentences. Overall, the effectiveness of the auditory learning style is proved by the previously mentioned skills and advantages, and it is possible to say that this style is as valuable as the visual one.
Effectiveness of Reading and Writing Style
Reading and writing is the third basic learning style that also provides students with a variety of advantages. To begin with, as evident from the name of the teaching method, those students who prefer it use their reading and writing skills to process and then memorize information (Allen et al., 2010). In other words, while visual or auditory learners need to see or hear data, respectively, some students need to write something down or read it silently or aloud to understand better. It is possible to say that this learning style is the most traditional one, unlike the kinesthetic method that is discussed in the following section (Othman & Amiruddin, 2010).
Consequently, such learners typically find it easier to study at education facilities because most teachers focus exactly on this learning style, making students read many texts and write down lectures.
It is possible to say that the reading and writing learning style is also very advantageous for students because it allows them to develop various beneficial skills. For example, as noticed by Allen et al. (2010), learners who prefer this style find it easier to interpret the meanings and key ideas of texts, prepare written assignments, retell paragraphs and poems, and use dictionaries. Finally, the reading and writing learning style improves students’ abilities to concentrate, paraphrase and summarize, select quickly among multiple choices, and work well with manuals.
Effectiveness of Kinesthetic Style
Finally, the fourth learning style is the kinesthetic one, and it is possible to suggest that the literature review concerning its effectiveness will show that it is as beneficial as the previous three styles. As defined by Gashgari (2017), “this teaching strategy involves students with the physical activities to understand the subject” and is considered to be one of the most effective learning styles (p. iv).
To be more precise, this learning procedure’s main characteristic is the engagement of students through physical activities in order to allow them to better “understand the concept of the lecture rather than just listening or watching demonstrations” (Gashgari, 2017, p. 1). For some learners, it is torture to sit still and listen to their professors, watch a video, or communicate with their peers. Instead, they need to be able to walk around the classroom or be engaged in any other physical activity to process and remember information correctly.
The author of the study conducted a survey in order to explore the students’ preferences related to the four main learning styles, and the results were surprising. Overall, “the highest preferred learning style among the Arabic surveyors is the Kinesthetic Learning Style with 52.4%,” meaning that students indeed find this method beneficial and contributing to their academic success (Gashgari, 2017, p. 15). Finally, the benefits provided by this type of learning involve the improvement of analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to find the necessary information.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that it is impossible to select the most effective learning style because all four of them are equally beneficial and efficient. Indeed, the literature review demonstrates that visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic teaching methods can provide students with a vast number of advantages and improve their skills. What is more, during the literature review, no serious limitations or disadvantages of the aforementioned learning styles were detected (Chaudhry et al., 2020). Therefore, since all of them are effective, it is recommended for educators to choose those that best fit their students.
Methodology
Research Question
Which of the four main learning styles, namely, visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic (VARK), is more effective for students?
Hypothesis
All four main learning styles are equally effective, and the outcome depends on whether the selected style is best for a particular student.
Research Design
It is possible to say that two research designs, namely, comparative and descriptive, can be used in this study. First, each learning style and all of them, in general, will be described to create an understanding of the necessity of their existence, as well as their role in students’ academic performance. Further, since the research question focuses on the effectiveness of these learning styles, it is vital to compare and contrast them, examining whether or not they are equally useful.
Population and Sample
The population chosen for this research are Prince Sultan University students. Overall, this education facility seems to be appropriate for examining the effects of the four learning styles on students’ academic achievements. This is the first private university created in Saudi Arabia. Since it offers several different programs, including architecture, information sciences, business administration, engineering, humanities, and law, it is likely that the results of the research will be trustworthy. Further, precisely this university is selected for this study because the PSU aims to provide the community with quality education, so it is rather insightful to evaluate how different learning styles affect students.
Prince Sultan University students are of slightly different ages and come from different backgrounds, having varying academic performance and income levels. Since different additional factors may influence the effectiveness of the learning styles, it is essential to take a diversified sample. Therefore, the total sample size will be 240 students: 40 from each PSU college. Such a number seems to be enough to gather data and come to specific conclusions. Half of the sample will be females, and the other half will be males, and the age range will be between 18 and 22. The participants will be selected randomly to exclude any bias.
Data Collection Tool
It is essential to notice that a mixed approach that will address both quantitative and qualitative data is most beneficial for this research. First of all, since a major part of the research is literature analysis, a qualitative approach is required. It will allow gathering the necessary information, assessing the views and opinions of academics, and evaluating the four learning styles as valuable tools. Further, quantitative data is also required to refer the findings to the Prince Sultan University students.
It is possible to suggest that surveys and interviews will be effective for collecting quantitative data. For example, a 5-point Likert survey scale can be used to gather information from all 240 participants – such a method is not time-consuming but allows for engaging all experimented students. Further, to add to qualitative data, a total of 12 participants (6 males and 6 females, 2 from each college) will be interviewed. Such an approach will expand the gathered information and data and contribute greatly to the research.
Surveys
As mentioned above, surveys will allow to collect information simultaneously from all participants. Considering the fact that students usually lack free time, online surveys are selected instead of personal meetings or phone questionnaires. Additionally, such a method will not require the manual calculation of the results as they will automatically be grouped in the database. All participants will have access to the survey via their university website account or WhatsApp groups.
Overall, the survey will consist of 20 simple questions, and it will take students no more than 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. While it will be anonymous, the first four questions will be about the participants’ age, gender, economic background, and race. Further, the rest of the survey will be dedicated to the questions about learning styles. For example, the students will need to assess whether they can process and memorize information when it is presented in visual, audio, written, or kinesthetic form. What is more, the participants will be asked about those learning styles that their professors use most frequently and whether these styles are effectively incorporated.
Interview
As mentioned above, 12 students will be invited for an interview to further expand the findings and add to the collected information. Overall, the interview will take 20 to 30 minutes, and the students will be asked from 15 to 18 questions (additional ones may be asked based on the previous answers). The selected participants, including 6 males and 6 females, will be invited via their emails or WhatsApp accounts, and the interviews will be conducted at Prince Sultan University. The responses will be recorded on the smartphone since this is the easiest and most appropriate tool. Prior to the interview, the participants will be asked about their readiness to answer the questions, informed about anonymity, and offered to respond either in Arabic or English language.
Data Analysis
It is indicated earlier in the proposal that both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected to answer the research question. The former will be analyzed through descriptive statistics with the help of either SPSS or JMP software – both of them are known to be rather useful and effective for data analysis. As for qualitative information collected through literature review and interviews, it is possible to state that content and narrative analyses will be effective. The results of the students’ interviews and surveys will be compared and contrasted to detect the patterns.
Expected Findings
My research proposal is aimed at compiling a list of the main learning styles, as well as their indicators and differences between them. The main points of my literature review are the analysis of the effectiveness of four core approaches to various learning styles, which include visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic kinds (VARK) (Cimermanová, 2018). In the methodology section, I use the analysis of scientific literature since it helps to identify the inherent features and properties of the described learning styles in order to study their effectiveness more specifically.
In my research study, I expect to find a comparison of the effectiveness of each of the teaching methods compared to others. I want to identify the level of memorized information for different groups of students when using the methods that I have described.
In my opinion, my hypothesis will most likely prove correct at the end of the research. I think that an analysis of the scientific literature will show that, indeed, all learning styles are equally effective. Their impact on academic performance will only depend on the availability of an individual approach and the selection of the most appropriate method for each of the students (Cimermanová, 2018). The importance of my study is due to the influence of the right choice of learning style on the effectiveness of the educational process, and both teachers and students will benefit from my study.
The limitations of my current research are due to the impossibility of identity verification of the effectiveness of all learning styles. Even when selecting materials of the same complexity for memorization, external factors will play a role, for example, such as fatigue or lack of sleep in the experimented students (Cimermanová, 2018). Recommendations for future research include a study of learning styles from other less popular and less known classifications.
References
Allen, K., Sheve, J., & Nieter, V. (2010). Understanding learning styles: Making a difference for diverse learners. Shell Education.
Chaudhry, N. A., Ashar, A., & Ahmad, S. A. (2020). Association of visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK) learning styles and academic performances of dental students. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 70(1), 58-63.
Cimermanová, I. (2018). The effect of learning styles on academic achievement in different forms of teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 219–232.
Kayalar, F., & Kayalar, F. (2017). The effects of auditory learning strategy on learning skills of language learners (students’ views). Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(10), 4-10
Lizote, S. A., Alves, C. R., Teston, S. D. F., & Olm, J. W. (2019). Learning styles, academic performance, and teaching evaluation. Revista Catarinense Ciên Contábil, 18, 1-16.
Mozaffari, H. R., Janatolmakan, M., Sharifi, R., Ghandinejad, F., Andayeshgar, B., & Khatony, A. (2020). The relationship between the VARK learning styles and academic achievement in Dental Students. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 11, 15-19.
Othman, N., & Amiruddin, M. H. (2010). Different perspectives of learning styles from VARK model. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7, 652-660.
Gashgari, A. (2017).A study of kinesthetic learning activities in teaching computer algorithms in Saudi Arabia [PDF document].
Raiyn, J. (2016). The role of visual learning in improving students’ high-order thinking skills. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(24), 115-121.