I am including this 30-minute talk debunking the myth of learning styles because many of the teachers I deal with in teacher training believe that learning styles exist and I have tended only not to agree rather than to actively disagree. It is disappointing to find learning styles included in the syllabus of respected programmes such as CELTA and DELTA as this only serves to perpetuate the myth. This talk makes me think that I should be more pro-active about challenging teachers who bring up the issue. I do like the approach that you should not simply take something away but also offer something to take its place.
Carol Lethaby and Patricia Harries present a research-based argument as to why learning styles do not exist and alarming evidence about how prevalent this myth is across the teaching profession.
Having worked at an institution where all first year high school students were tested to discover their learning style in their first week, I can see why such an edifice would be difficult to topple.
In this case the speakers proposed replacing learning styles with an emphasis on the importance of acquired learning as the explanation for individual differences.