learning-styles

Figure 1
Selection of literature
for review
Total number of references identified: 3800
Texts reviewed and logged in the database: 838
Texts in the references: 631
Texts referring directly to the 13 major theorists: 351
Approaches to the literature review
Selecting the literature
The brief for this research was twofold: first, to assess
the theoretical basis of claims made for learning styles
and their importance for pedagogy; second, to map
the field of learning styles and to gain an understanding
of the variety of models produced, their history
and pedagogical relevance. For this reason, it was
not practical to follow the stringent, limiting criteria
of, for example, the reviews produced by the Evidence
for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating
Centre (EPPI-Centre), since the second aspect
of the project would have been neglected. However,
we adopted some of the processes of a systematic
literature review, based on the research questions
outlined above. These processes included: identifying
literature and search terms; and locating the
literature through materials already in our possession,
by following up citations, interrogating databases,
searching websites, and making use of personal
contacts. We developed a reference management
system using Endnote software and this enabled us
to define and hone our criteria (see below), both for
selecting literature initially and then for closer analysis.
The category ‘texts in the references’ covers both this
report and Coffield et al. 2004.
In the literature review, we used a range of search
terms (see Appendix 2) which revealed the titles
of thousands of books, journal articles, theses,
magazine articles, websites, conference papers
and unpublished ‘grey’ literature. Our criteria have
been relatively flexible compared with those used
in EPPI-Centre reviews, since we have had to take into
account the need to sample at least some of the large
number of articles in professional magazines designed
to promote particular models of learning styles, even
though these articles tend not to engage critically
with the instrument either theoretically or empirically.
We have accumulated a database containing over 800
references and papers relating to the field of post-16
learning styles. The majority are scholarly articles
in journals or books, written by academics for other
academics. We have developed the following structure
to impose some order on a large, complex and confusing
literature, and to evaluate all reports and papers
critically. Our evaluation criteria, therefore, take account
of both the scholarly quality of an article and its impact
on a particular professional or academic audience.
The criteria for selecting particular theorists or research
studies to examine in depth were as follows.
The texts chosen were widely quoted and regarded
as central to the field as a whole.
The learning styles model was based on an
explicit theory.
The publications were representative of the
literature and of the total range of models available
(eg experiential, cognitive and brain dominance).
The theory has proved to be productive – that is,
leading to further research by others.
The instrument/questionnaire/inventory has
been widely used by practitioners – teachers, tutors
or managers.