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COGNITIVE STYLES & TEACHING STRATEGIES
The differences in cognitive learning styles have distinct implications for preferences in student instruction and teaching strategies. According to Anderson and Adams (1992), an initial approach for instructors might be to develop a sense of the expectations that students and instructors bring into the classroom. Such interactions guide the more formal dimensions of the teaching-learning dyad. One example of the expectations that two different types of students exhibit is outlined in the following chart.What Students Expect From Instructors
(based upon preferred style)
| Field Dependent Orientation | Field Independent Orientation |
| To give support, show interest, be emotional | To focus on task and be objective |
| To provide guidance, modeling, and constructive feedback | To provide independence and flexibility |
| To provide verbal and nonverbal cues to support words | To provide commands and messages directly and articulately |
| To minimize professional distance | To maximize professional distance |
| To seek opinions when making decisions and to incorporate affective considerations |
To make decisions based upon analysis of problem and objective criteria |
| To identify with values and needs of students | To identify with goals and objectives of task |
A Comparison of Teaching Styles Based Upon a Similar Orientation
(field dependent and field independent teaching strategies)
| Field Dependent Strategies | Field Independent Strategies |
| Focuses on needs, feelings, and interests of students | Focuses on task |
| Acts as a consultant or supervisor in the classroom |
Fosters modeling and imitation |
| Uses an informal approach—
elicits class discussion |
Uses a formal, lecture-oriented approach |
| Uses personal rewards | Uses impersonal rewards |
| Encourages group achievement | Encourages individual achievement |
| Narrates and humanizes concepts | Emphasizes facts and principles |
| Identifies with class | Remains emotionally detached |
Teaching in a diverse classroom means that there will be many different learning styles. Effective teaching cannot be limited to the delivery of information, but needs to be based on a model of minds at work. The generative process of learning is most effective when instructors both affirm the presence and validity of diverse learning styles, and also maximize the climate or conditions for learning in the classroom (Anderson & Adams, 1992). While instructors should be aware of differences when identifying learning styles with particular groups, they also should still use a full range of instructional strategies in order to stretch the experience and learning repertoire of all their students.
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