Perspective Chapter: The Role of Learning Styles in Active Learning

Abstract

Active learning has a wide range of definitions, depending on the authors who define it. However, it can be understood as an instructional method that involves students in the learning process. Learning styles refer to the preferences that students have in their learning process. Learning styles emerge due to our genetics, life experiences and the demands of our current environment. These preferences can be classified and applied in activities that actively and passively require the participation of students. This chapter will attempt to describe active learning and learning styles separately. After that, the theoretical-practical intersections of active learning and learning styles are presented. Students’ learning preferences may (or may not) be accommodated by active learning practices. Sometimes the nature of the style results in an innate passivity in the student. What follows is the teacher’s action to engage students in a more active learning environment despite their predominant style. Based on research, some suggestions are presented in this regard.