Are learning styles truly outdated, or can they still be helpful?
The Persistent Myth in Modern Teaching
If you’ve been in education long enough, chances are you’ve seen lesson plans labelled “visual”, “auditory”, or “kinaesthetic”. Maybe you’ve even written a few yourself. The theory behind learning styles, which involves teaching pupils based on their sensory preferences, has become a go-to planning habit for many teachers. But what if this widely accepted practice is not only ineffective but potentially damaging?
Recent research from Hattie & O’Leary (2025) puts the final nail in the coffin. After analysing 17 meta-analyses involving over 100,000 students, they found that matching teaching to a student’s “preferred learning style” has no significant impact on achievement. So why is this myth still so widespread and what should we be doing instead?
Why Learning Styles Stick Around
The idea is tempting: tailor your lesson to each child’s unique learning type, and results will follow. It feels inclusive, personal, and thoughtful. But feelings aren’t facts. The evidence shows that the average effect size of matching teaching to learning style preferences is a measly d = 0.04—statistically meaningless.
Despite this, learning styles continue to dominate classrooms, especially in primary settings and FE colleges. Why? Because they offer a sense of control and comfort—both for teachers trying to differentiate, and for students trying to define how they learn. Unfortunately, this approach often distracts from what really works.
The Real Problem: Confusing Preferences with Strategies
One of the most damaging aspects of learning styles is how easily they get confused with learning strategies. Instead of teaching students how to adapt and reflect, we risk boxing them into “types” that might lower expectations and limit growth.
What’s more effective? Equipping students with evidence-based strategies, they can apply flexibly depending on the task at hand.
What Teachers Should Do Instead
It’s time to ditch the VAK tests and stop calling anyone a “visual learner”. Instead, focus on teaching these powerful, research-backed strategies:
- Retrieval practice – strengthen memory through active recall
- Spaced repetition – revisit content over time to boost retention
- Dual coding – combine visuals with text to enhance understanding
- Self-questioning – encourage students to quiz themselves
- Metacognition – teach students to reflect on what strategies worked and why
These approaches not only improve outcomes but also build independence, confidence, and resilience.
Rethinking CPD and Planning
This research should serve as a wake-up call for teacher training providers and CPD organisers. Rather than recycling outdated ideas, training should prioritise tools that actually impact learning. That means modelling metacognitive language, encouraging strategic thinking, and helping teachers focus on task demands over preferences.
Remove Labels and Teach How to Learn
Learning isn’t about fitting students into neat little boxes. It’s about empowering them with the tools to tackle different challenges head-on. It’s time to move beyond learning styles and start teaching students how to learn, not how to label themselves.
