“Are you a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner?”
This question has shaped education for decades. Most teachers worldwide still believe students learn best when taught in their “preferred” style. The idea sounds logical. Some students learn by seeing, others by hearing and others by doing.
But learning styles don’t exist, at least not in any way that matters for how we should teach.
The history behind the learning styles myth
The concept of learning styles started in the 1960s as a way to help students with learning disabilities. By the 1980s and 1990s, it had spread throughout education systems worldwide.
Today, the most popular version divides learners into three types:
Visual learners (learn through seeing)
Auditory learners (learn through hearing)
Kinesthetic learners (learn through movement)
This VAK model became so popular that schools spent millions on training, materials, and programs based on these categories. Students took tests to find their “style,” and teachers worked to match their teaching methods to each student’s supposed learning preference.
What the research actually shows
Study after study has tried to prove learning styles work. They all tell the same story:
A 2017 study in Frontiers in Psychology found no evidence that matching teaching to learning styles helps students learn better.
The American Psychological Association has called learning styles a “myth” with no scientific support.
One major review looked at decades of research and found something striking: students who claimed to be “visual learners” didn’t learn any better from visual teaching. The same pattern held true for all supposed learning types.
Dr. Daniel Willingham, cognitive scientist at the University of Virginia, puts it plainly: “Students may have preferences about how to learn, but no evidence suggests that catering to those preferences helps them learn better.”
Why we keep believing despite the facts
If learning styles don’t work, why do so many people still believe in them?
They make intuitive sense. We all have preferences for how we study or work, so it seems logical these preferences would affect how well we learn.
They feel personal and empowering. Being told “you’re a visual learner” gives students an identity and seems to explain why certain subjects might be harder for them.
An entire industry sells learning style assessments, training programs, and teaching materials. This commercial push keeps the concept alive in schools.
The concept gets passed down through teacher training programs without critically examining the evidence.
What works better than learning styles?
The good news? We know plenty about how learning actually works:
Subject-appropriate methods work best Math requires different teaching approaches than literature or physical education. The subject matter should determine the teaching method, not the students’ supposed learning style.
Multiple modes of teaching benefit everyone All students learn better when they receive information through multiple senses – seeing, hearing, and doing together. This works not because it hits everyone’s “style,” but because it builds stronger mental connections.
Focus on proven learning strategies Techniques like spaced practice (studying in short bursts over time), retrieval practice (testing yourself), and interleaving (mixing up different topics) have strong scientific support.
The real differences that matter
Instead of focusing on fake categories, teachers should pay attention to real student differences:
Background knowledge (what students already know about a topic)
Reading ability and language proficiency
Working memory capacity
Interest and motivation in the subject
Specific learning disabilities
These factors affect learning far more than any supposed “style” preference.
What this means for students and teachers
This might feel disappointing if you’ve been told you’re a “visual learner” your whole life. But it should actually feel freeing. You can learn through any format if the teaching is good and use effective study strategies.
For teachers, this means you can stop worrying about matching your lessons to 30 different learning styles. Instead, focus on:
Teaching with methods that fit the subject
Using multiple modes of instruction for everyone
Building on what students already know
Teaching effective learning strategies
Good teaching helps all students learn, regardless of their supposed “style.”
Leave feedback about this