Learning Styles and Academic Success
Furnham (2012) states that learning styles and personality traits can predict college academic performance outcomes (p. 117). The finding illustrates how related the individual personality and approach to learning is unique and impacts quality of education. This paper will show how research supports this finding and explain why learning styles are so connected to how and at what level a student will engage with the academic process.
According to Boyle, Duffy, and Dunleavy (2003), fit indices were used in combination with the four-factor model of Vermunt which monitors learning styles to show how there is a different and best fit for various students based on learning orientations. The orientation itself is derived from different ways that students have of processing material, mental capacities, and strategies for applying themselves to study and learning. What Boyle, Duffy and Dunleavy find is that there are four basic ways that a student can learn, which previous research also identified. These four ways are meaning-directed learning, which focuses on identifying meanings; reproduction-learning, which focuses and reproducing answers; application-learning, which focuses on understanding how to apply lessons and oneself; and undirected-learning, which has no focus...
Undirected learning had the least negative impact on academic success, whereas meaning-directed learning had the least positive impact. This suggests that students should find for themselves process of learning that works best for them.
Likewise, Lopez, Rodriguez, Esteban et al. (2013) assert that students with success in school look for themselves how to learn. They note that the most successful students apply themselves on a more concerted effort and look to take reflective and theory-based learning approaches, whereas less successful students interact with educative process on a more superficial level and do not dig down deep into themselves or into the material to challenge themselves. Thus, a lack of academic success is related to the learning style that only uses the surface of things for its learning process and is not deeply engaged with content and study processes. The researchers conclude that "training guidance" should be given to students so that they are not simply operating on a surface level but are given a more demanding pathway to how to involve themselves on a deeper level (p. 1361).
Finally, there is the study by Uzuntiryaki (2007) which shows that learning styles are very impactful in achievement at the high school level too. One of…
