Learning Styles: My Experience In Congo

I spent most of my life in Kinshasa, DR Congo where I went to two different schools. As French is my first language, the first 7 years of my education were in a local institution where I was taught in French. After I passed my 7th grade class, my parents enrolled me in an international school where I would be taught in English. My first year in my new school was intense as I was in an English as a Second Language class in which all my lessons were centred around the English language and the proper way to use it. Learning a new language at 13 years old was quite challenging but a year later, I successfully passed my E.S.L. class and was transferred to a normal curriculum class. I proceeded with the rest of my secondary education in that school. Methods of teaching varied from one teacher to another and very few of them tried to diversify their teaching approaches throughout an academic year. The notions about learning styles that I have acquired during my first few weeks in London Metropolitan University helped me understand why I loved certain classes/teachers and strongly disliked others throughout my secondary education.

According to Peter Honey and Alan Mumford, there are four distinct ways of learning hence four main types of learners. Those four types include: activists, reflectors, theorists, and pragmatists (Honey and Mumford, 1992). Activists are individuals who are most comfortable acquiring knowledge through first-hand experiences and activities; they are usually unprejudiced people, always willing to consider ideas that come from outside. Reflectors are those who prefer to stand back and discern situations. They are often slow at making up their minds and taking quick decisions as they like to conduct in-depth analyses first. Theorists analyse first with the intent of developing logical theories from what they have observed. They rely on the idea that everything must be logical and make sense. Pragmatists are all about putting theories into practice. They are not interested in new ideas that can’t be applied in real life (Pritchard, 2017). Honey and Mumford also developed a questionnaire made up of 80 questions meant to help individuals find out which category of learners they belong to. After I took a few minutes of my time to complete the questionnaire, I found out that I am a reflector which means I am one of those who like to conduct meticulous examinations before drawing conclusions.

When it comes to students in higher education, learning styles do play a significant role as an instructor’s method of teaching can either have a positive or negative effect upon student attendance. Some students will feel so comfortable with the way they learn that they will find it fulfilling to attend lectures; others might feel like they do not benefit from the approaches used in class and will find it unnecessary to attend their lectures. However, learning preferences are not the only factor that can influence student attendance. The article Understanding student attendance in Business School: an exploratory study explores the different studies that have shown how student attendance in higher education is not only affected by learning styles, but also by student heterogeneity which is all about personal diversity. It provides an analysis of different types of attendants and categorizes them according to their personal motives to attend lectures. Six different groups are identified: idealists, pragmatists, averagely motivated students, fundamentals-oriented students, minimalists, and everything but pleasure students.

Idealists are those who find personal enrichment in attending lectures. It is suggested that older students as well as students in the Arts Faculty make up the majority if this group. Pragmatists have a goal and are ready to do what it takes to achieve it. They will attend lectures for the reward that will come from it rather than for the enjoyment of it. Pragmatists are usually the youngest on university campuses. Averagely motivated students which I believe is the category that suits me best refers to those who share the same motives as pragmatists and find a purpose in attending lectures as they find it less challenging than learning alone. Fundamentals-oriented students are those who share the main pragmatic motives and believe that lectures help them acquire the essential principles of topics. Minimalists only attend lectures to not miss out on key learning material. Everything but pleasure students forms the category of those to who most of the motives stated above apply, except from enjoying lectures. (Dolnicar, 2004; Dolnicar, 2005; Ditcher and Hunter, 2004; Rowntree, 1981 cited in Mearman et al., 2014, pp.5-6)

As stated above, Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles Questionnaire suggests that I am a reflector. These results explain why I’ve always had difficulties expressing my opinion during class discussions and often felt uncomfortable when chosen as a group leader throughout my secondary education. As a reflector, I am aware of my strengths as well as my weak spots and I am willing to work on them and take initiatives to improve Being aware of your own learning preference is important as it allows you to be self-conscious about your weaknesses and take efficient steps to become better. I have set 3 goals which I believe I will have fully reached by the end of this academic year. First, I will get more involved in first-hand activities and will be more enthusiast about trying new things. Second, I will stop overthinking about the consequences of certain actions and take more risks. Lastly, I will be more direct when asked to share my opinion or to make decisions. These 3 simple objectives will help me develop skills and capacities that a typical reflector usually lacks.