Learning Styles research paper

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able to hear what is being said in order to understand and may have difficulty with instructions that are written. They also use their listening and repeating skills to sort through the information received.

Kinaesthetic learning (also known as tactile learning) is a learning style in which learning takes place by the student carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration. When learning, it helps for these students to move around; this increases the students' understanding, with learners generally getting better marks in exams when they can do so. (Boundless 2015) Everyone learns differently, there is no one best way to learn. As a facilitator it is essential to cater to the learning needs of all the students in the classroom. there are many different approaches to learning. A teacher is expected to consider all learning styles in order to reach the needs and abilities of all the children in a classroom. Some ways that teachers can cater to the needs of their students would be discussed. Some of these ways include; the use of differentiated instructions, the use of motivational strategies and the introduction of Problem Based Learning into the classroom.

Differentiated instruction refers to teaching that is adapted to take into account the range of individual differences and needs of students in any one classroom. It comprises modifications to the curriculum, teaching structures, and teaching practices in combination to ensure that instruction is relevant, flexible, and responsive, leading to successful achievement, and the development of students as self-regulated learners alongside their peers (van Kraayenoord 1997).

The objective of providing differentiation in teaching practices is to have all students participating in respectful work -work that is challenging, meaningful and engaging. To differentiate, it is vital that teachers understand their students on an individual level in order to 2015038 3 create lessons based on the students' interests and abilities. Tasks should be differentiated to ensure that students feel they are able to accomplish the same tasks without being further disadvantaged due to their ability (Barnes, 2006). Traditional classrooms do not work anymore.

Reasons why this does not work anymore are the unwillingness to participate in experiments and the marginalisation of students with disabilities and learning difficulties. Modern Classrooms are now obtaining the resources needed to meet the requirements of all the learners. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI) can be used as a facilitator to differentiate how students retrieve this content. Using MI-inspired lessons allow students to explore important concepts using a variety of domains, and find information based on their specific abilities. Ways in which a teacher can include differentiated instructions in the classroom is by planning a range of alternate tasks that address the essential concepts at varying levels of challenge and also sequencing the activities/tasks in smaller steps for students who will need additional support.

Differentiation involves adaptations to one or more of the three components of curriculum that is content, process, product (Heacox 2002). Creating a differentiated and comprehensive classroom aids teachers to more successfully meet the needs of all students. This is essential, as the classroom must be a place that has no form of discrimination, and students are comfortable to take risks and feel appreciated. The learning environment should be differentiated to change the pace of how things are delivered, create activities that are challenging in order to push students, be relevant to students and be flexible and varied (Heacox, 2002).

It is therefore important for teachers to understand factors that affect learning in order to create the best experiences to facilitate learning. Firstly, teachers need to understand that learning cannot be imposed upon students. Consequently, teachers must motivate students to learn, students must be willing to learn for effective learning to take place. Motivation is one thing that 2015038 5 questions, and imperceptibly guiding students. It is fundamental that to survive and succeed in today's realm we need to possess strong, valuable problem solving skills. Szalavatiz, et. al. (2004) states that 'students, who actively make observations, collect, analyse, synthesize information, and draw conclusions are developing useful problem-solving skills that can be applied to future real-life situations that students will encounter both at school and at work.' This establishes that problem-based learning offers needed knowledge and skills that students will continue to use throughout their life span. Problem based learning is valuable in any classroom because it is student centred. High engagement levels can be beneficial to a student in their learning. It has been observed that when students are mentally involved, engaged in hands-on activities, involved in a process of inquiry, investigation and interpretation is when they learn best. The pace and content of a problem based learning approach can always be modified to suit individual learning needs. Hence, students are independent and self-regulated, and are capable of outlining their own learning goals and are supported in reflecting and evaluating their own accomplishment. Marshal (Marzano 1992) suggests that the concept of learning has to include positive attitudes, the ability to acquire knowledge, allowing learners to extent their own knowledge and then applying their knowledge to everyday life. Marshal (Marzano 1992) also believes that a teacher must develop these concepts in order to help learners develop, and make learners learn independently, so they may continue to develop and gather knowledge for the rest of their lives.

To help cater for the different learning needs of students, teachers can offer modifications to what students learn (content), how students learn (process) and how students demonstrate what they have learned (product). If teachers choose to implement some of these techniques outlined into the classroom such as differentiated instructions, motivation strategies and