Correcting Brain Myths (2): The Brain and the Myth of Learning Styles

I have been as guilty as any of proposing and spreading the learning styles myth. Both early in my career as an English teacher to adults, and as I moved into communication training to corporates. Learning styles felt good, seemed intuitively true, and helped me get a grasp on the world. I thought I was doing a good thing and was proud of my knowledge: “I know about teaching, and I know about learning styles”.

This, as I became more and more involved with neuroscience, slowly faded — it gradually became clear that this truly was a myth. Indeed quick google search will find many pages that soundly and scientifically debunk the learning styles myth.

The good news is the myth amongst teachers seems to be dropping; in a 2012 study 93% believed the myth — a more recent study published in 2017 showed 76% of teachers believing in it. However, that still leaves three-quarters of teachers still believing a myth that has been resoundingly debunked for nigh on two decades. The good news in higher education, at least, is that in 2017 only 54% believed the myth according another study. We are moving in the right direction, but it obviously still needs to be dispelled with a majority of educators.

However, that still leaves three-quarters of teachers still…