Learning Styles in Elementary Classrooms

Learning styles can be used to promote engagement and academic stamina in students. The purpose of this teacher research was to identify a connection between using different learning styles to increase students’ engagement and academic stamina in a variety of lessons. Engagement can be defined as reactions to teacher, classmates, academics, and school (Fredricks, Blumenfield, & Paris, 2004). The learning styles that were utilized from the Visual, Aural, Read/write(VARK) model of learning styles are; auditory, kinesthetic, and visual. These were integrated in the study through the my lessons during my time student teaching. Things such as videos, manipulatives, and presentations represented the different learning styles. This self-study research was conducted in a third-grade classroom in Illinois. Data sources included field notes taken throughout student teaching. Teacher reflections, lesson plans, and student work that highlight different styles were collected and content analyzed. The significance of this study is that when students individual learning styles are represented in their lessons, they are more engaged in the lesson.