Towards Inclusive Teacher Education: Sensitising Individuals to How They Learn

Higher Education has struggled to acknowledge and translate into better teaching and learning practices that sizeable literature base suggesting a link between cognitive style, learning preferences and performance. Eighty undergraduate students on a primary education degree were studied to examine the relationship between their cognitive style, learning preferences and perceived impact on their teaching practices. Significant differences were found between each of the three cognitive styles investigated: wholist, intermediate and analytic (Riding, 2000). Many of the differences reported in the literature between the different cognitive styles were not evident in this study. However, the interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics of wholists and analytics respectively, were evident and perceived to impact on planning and delivery in the classroom. While further school-based research involving greater numbers is required, the interest in learning styles remains especially poignant if one intends to truly offer an inclusive education for all learners. Towards Inclusive Teacher Education: Sensitising Individuals to How They Learn