Adapting Teaching Styles to Learning Styles
When teachers adapt their teaching styles to the learning styles of ethnically diverse students there are significant gains in academic performance, self-confidence, school attendance, focus, and time on task (Gay, 2018). However, schools approach learning from an analytic cognitive style through which all students are expected to organize and classify information. Ethnically diverse students have relational cognitive learning styles in which they learn best through concepts of collectivism, cooperation, emotionality, and variability to name a few. These concepts are in direct alignment with the values, norms, and orientation of their African heritage. Therefore, the structure of a typical classroom environment is not conducive to an effective learning environment for ethnically diverse learners, specifically, African American students. Cultural heritages must be recognized as an essential conduit to teach to and through them.
Moreover, African American students have the lowest academic performance of all student populations in the United States. I believe their underperformance is due to lack of intentionality to impact their achievement. There must be an imperative that teachers utilize the learning styles of ethnically diverse students to teach them effectively. According to Boykin (1994) whose seminal research on the cultural orientations of African American children gave insight into the learning styles of the students identified 9 characteristics of African American children. These traits inlcude having spirituality, harmonious, affect, communalism, movement, verve, expressive individualism, oral tradition, and social time orientation to help teachers adapt their teaching styles to African American students. These characteristics should be the impetus for teachers to modify their pedagogy to make learning effective for African American students.
Cooperation, collaboration, and community are the essence of ethnically diverse cultures and are efficient methodologies to use in the classroom to educate ethnically diverse students (Gay, 2018). Specifically, cooperative learning is a powerful methodology that has demonstrated a strong impact on the achievement of ethnically diverse students. Keep in mind, this does not decrease the value of collaboration and community within the classroom. However, cooperative learning has shown positive effects of increased academic achievement, strong cross-cultural connections, enhanced retention of content, and better attitudes towards learning (Gay, 2018). Furthermore, when cooperative learning is used in classrooms it creates a psychological safe space for ethnically diverse students to be themselves, authentically, as well as increase engagement and focus on tasks.
Thus, when teaching styles are in alignment with the learning styles of ethnically diverse students there are profound effects on their achievement. Ethnically diverse students can connect with strategies that reduce marginalization because they can feel being centered, valued, and a sense of belonging in the classroom. They know they are being cared for through the actions of the teacher and reciprocate through producing success academically, socially, and psychologically. Adapting teaching styles to ethnically diverse students’ learning styles is an intentional act and an important aspect of culturally responsive teaching. Teachers must be willing to go above and beyond in meeting the needs of ethnically diverse students, especially in urban school districts. Teachers cannot teach using outdated learning methodologies. Ethnically diverse students are as advanced and savvy as the modern day student and require strategies that will impact their achievement. I believe teachers should update their pedagogical strategies, better yet, dump the old strategies and commit to new ones.
