• DOI:10.12738/ESTP.2016.6.0084
• Corpus ID: 55027291

A Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Instructional Designs Based on the Learning Styles Models on Academic Achievement, Attitude and Retention *

@article{Kanadli2016AMO,
  title={A Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Instructional Designs Based on the Learning Styles Models on Academic Achievement, Attitude and Retention *},
  author={Sedat Kanadli},
  journal={Kuram Ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri},
  year={2016},
  volume={16},
  pages={2057-2086}
}

• S. Kanadli
• Published 1 December 2016
• Education
• Kuram Ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri

Today's curriculums focus on students' individual differences with the influence of the constructivist approach. When teaching a lesson, teachers are also expected to organize learning experiences by paying attention to these students' individual differences. One of the students' individual differences is the learning style and learning modality developing in parallel with it. Learning style commonly means the preference of the students in respect to receiving and processing information. Keefe (1979) defined learning style as 'characteristics cognitive, affective and psychological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment'. With references to this definition, one of the major characteristics of learning style is that it affects how students perceive information, construct it in their mind and make sense of their environment accordingly. Another major characteristic of learning style is that it develops based on experiences and not genetic traits (BECTA, 2005). In other words, the preferred learning style may change over time rather than remaining stable, and is independent of both students' abilities and content (Reiner & Willingham, 2010). Learning styles have mainly focused on different types of information and processing them in various ways (Garcia, Amandi, Schiaffino, & Campo 2007). Consequently, there are many types of learning styles models in the literature and many instruments developed according to these models. Examples of the most popular learning styles models in literature are the Perceptual Model, the Kolb Learning Styles Model, the Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model, the 4MAT System, the Honey & Mumford Learning Styles Model and the Grasha and Riechman Learning Styles Model. Although these models resemble each other in many ways, there are many differences among them that emanate from their definitions.For instance, the Perceptual Learning Style Model classifies students according to which sensory receivers (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) they prefer most when perceiving information. Kolb (1984) stated in his learning styles model that people perceive information through thinking and feeling (abstract conceptualization and concrete experience) and process it through doing and watching (active experimentation and reflective observation). The Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model identifies five stimuli sources (environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological and psychological) that affect students' learning and 21 learning style elements across these five stimuli sources (Dunn, 2000). The 4MAT Model is based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Model and identifies learning in terms of how people perceive (thinking-sensing) and process (doing-watching) information (McCharty, 1990). The Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Model renames Kolb's learning cycle according to individuals' experiences of problem solving and decision making (activist, theorist, pragmatist, reflector) (Honey & Mumford, 2006). The Grasha and Riechman Learning Styles Model focuses on students' attitudes and feelings toward learning, classroom activities and interaction with teachers and peers (Uzun & Centurk, 2008).Various scales designed according to learning style models are used to determine individuals' learning style. For example, in order to determine perceptual learning styles (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic), various activities are given item by item, and the dominant learning style is discovered depending upon whether the individual prefers these activities or not. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, consisting of 12 items, is used to determine learning style according to Kolb Learning Styles Model. In this inventory, four activities are given under each item and the individual is asked to grade these between 1 and 4. The scores of the individual's learning mode (concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation) on the four-stage cycle of learning is calculated (Ackar & Akkoyunlu, 1993). …