Abstract
This study investigated the difference between EFL students’ preferred learning styles (PLS) and EFL teachers’ preferred teaching styles (PTS) in Saudi Arabia. The participants in this study were 130 EFL students and 102 EFL teachers. Felder and Silverman’s learning/teaching style model was employed to identify students’ learning styles as well as teachers’ teaching styles. The study’s results revealed that EFL students preferred the sensing, visual, active, and sequential learning styles. It was also found that EFL teachers preferred the abstract, verbal, passive, and global teaching styles. The study revealed a statistically significant difference between students’ learning styles and teachers’ teaching styles. These results showed that there was a mismatch between students’ PLS and teachers’ PTS and recommendations were proposed to bridge this gap.
Highlights
One of the variables that influence successful English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning is the match between learning and teaching styles
The results indicated that there was a very statistically significant difference in the scores for students’ visual-verbal learning styles (M=3.91, SD=0.52) as compared to corresponding teachers’ visual-verbal teaching styles (M=3.69, SD=0.61) conditions; t(230)=2.9632, p = 0.0034
The results revealed that there was a very statistically significant difference in the scores for students’ active-reflective learning styles (M=3.79, SD=0.62) as compared to corresponding teachers’ active-passive teaching styles (M=3.57, SD=0.64) conditions; t(230)= 2.6448, p =
Summary
One of the variables that influence successful EFL learning is the match between learning and teaching styles. Matching learning styles to teaching styles can optimize students’ potentials and maximize their learning success. Teachers should identify and match their own teaching styles to their students’ learning styles which, in turn, allows teachers to implement more effective instructional methods and tailor more suitable materials and activities that match their students’ learning needs. A student who favors an active learning style, for example, would prefer a teacher who adopts role-playing and group work; whereas a teacher who uses only texts and handouts would prevent a student, who favors visual perception (charts, pictures, and films), from learning effectively. Saudi EFL classrooms need to be closely investigated in order to bridge the mismatch gap between learning and teaching styles. The current study was designed to shed some light on this issue
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