Bài đọc 4
Ask a group of teachers or students whether people learn best when lessons match their individual "learning style", and a large majority will probably say yes. The idea is intuitive and appealing. Some of us, the theory goes, are visual learners who need diagrams and pictures; others are auditory learners who learn best by listening; still others learn by doing. Teach people in their preferred style, and they will learn more.
The belief is remarkably widespread. Surveys in several countries have found that most teachers accept it, and countless questionnaires exist to help students discover their style. Training courses and books have built an entire industry around it.
There is just one problem: the evidence does not support it. In 2008, a team of psychologists led by Harold Pashler reviewed the research on learning styles for the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. They pointed out that to prove the theory, it is not enough to show that people have preferences, which they clearly do. Researchers would need to show that visual learners, for example, learn more from visual teaching while auditory learners learn more from listening, and that the pattern reverses when the methods are swapped. Very few studies had even used a design capable of testing this, and those that had largely failed to find the predicted effect.
Why, then, does the idea survive? Part of the answer is that it contains a grain of truth. People do differ in their abilities, interests and previous knowledge, and good teachers adapt to these differences. Moreover, using several kinds of presentation, such as combining a clear diagram with a spoken explanation, often does help learning. But this benefit applies to almost everyone. It is the content, not the learner, that should determine the best method: a map is easier to understand by looking at it, a piece of music by listening to it, and a dance step by trying it, whatever one's supposed style.
The theory may also be flattering. Being told that one has a particular style can be reassuring, and it offers a convenient explanation for difficulties: if I am struggling, perhaps the lesson simply was not taught in my style.
Critics argue that the myth is not entirely harmless. Labelling a child as a "kinaesthetic learner" may discourage them from developing their reading or listening skills, and time spent matching lessons to styles is time not spent on methods with stronger evidence, such as regular self-testing and spreading study over time. The lesson, perhaps, is that ideas which feel obviously true deserve the most careful examination of all.