A teaching elixir, learning chimera or just fool's gold? Do learning styles matter?

Abstract

The idea of a personal style in learning has grown during the past decade to dominate teacher discourse in the UK. The theory supporting this idea is work in understanding cognitive and learning style. A recent review of learning styles for the Learning and Skills Development Agency in the UK has been widely publicised and is deeply critical of the validity or utility of learning styles as an idea or theory for education (Coffield, Moseley, Hall and Ecclestone, 2004a, b). This article is a response to this review and proposes a model of learning performance aimed at contributing to an understanding of personalised education, differential pedagogy and learning differences in the classroom. This approach to learning styles is presented as part of a continuing development of an inclusive provision grounded in assessment for learning. © 2007 Wiley Publisher. All rights reserved.