Teaching style effects on student achievement

Teaching Styles/Achievement

Teaching Styles and Achievement

No Child Left Behind was passed to improve the overall performance of students across America, with a focus on achievement on standardized testing (Payne-Tsoupros, 2010). Some scholars such as Payne-Tsoupros (2010) and Carbo (2009) criticize the methods under NCLB as a restrictive means of education. Specifically, the focus on a passing threshold for standardized tests emphasizes adequacy instead of aiming for increasing levels of achievement (Payne-Tsoupros, 2010). In response to NCLB's methods, one scholar suggested altering teaching styles to exceed the expected level of achievement (Carbo, 2009).

Before overhauling the educational methods implemented after No Child Left Behind, it is imperative to determine if teaching styles can impact achievement. By using teaching styles to adapt to the needs of the students in one's classroom, an instructor can improve the progress and achievement of those students. This paper will examine relevant research on achievement and teaching styles, discussing which teaching styles should be implemented, how they should be implemented, and when they should be implemented in order to improve students' achievement level.

Achievement refers to performance on a determined factor. For example, NCLB does not have shades of achievement, but focus on whether a student passes or fails a standardized test and evaluates schools based on rate of students passing the exam (Payne-Tsoupros, 2010). Other studies have looked at student achievement in a specific subject area using raw scores or change in the individual student's skill or performance level (Zhang, 2008; Carbo, 2009; Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2011).

Teaching styles encompass a wide array of factors that make up how information is conveyed by an instructor to his or her student. For example, some teachers may use visual or tactile methods to introduce a topic to students or help them grasp the concept (Bourque, Bouchamma, and Larose, 2010). This incorporates characteristics of the teacher such as which media he or she uses to teach students (Zhang, 2008).

One study by Zhang (2008) looked at the impact of students' preferred teaching styles and the impact it had on achievement. Items were taken from the Preferred Thinking Styles in Teaching Inventory and compared with semester exam scores in 12 subjects. The researcher determined that a preference for certain teaching styles positively impacted performance. These were brainstorming with other teachers in preparing lessons, stressing the importance of mastering facts, teaching a general strategy for analyzing any topic, and informing students of the relative importance of different problems or topics within a subject area. Creative teaching styles did not show a positive impact on achievement. The author noted that because all of the subjects were from a Catholic boys' school, the results may not apply to all students. (Zhang 2008)

Teaching styles that incorporate the elements found by Zhang (2008) to contribute positively to achievement may be able to develop a preference for such a style in their students. While Zhang (2008) notes that many teachers employ creative styles, these are not as beneficial as teachers assume. As such, students will continue to benefit from developing a preference for the beneficial teaching styles. It is the preference, as opposed to the teaching style itself that Zhang (2008) contributes to student achievement in a wide array of subjects.

However, a longitudinal study in the United Kingdom by Woolhouse (2003) noted that a mismatch between a preferred teaching style, or the students' learning style, and the teacher's actual teaching style can negatively impact achievement. Students that had a preference for teaching styles that focused on theorist tendencies and teachers that taught in that manner showed significantly higher achievement on a-Level examinations. (Woolhouse, 2003)

While teachers may be inclined to adopt new teaching styles, a change in teaching styles may adversely impact students. Ruiz-Gallardo, Castano, Gomez-Alday, and Valdes (2011) found that a change of teaching style from lecture-based to problem-based with at focus on cooperative learning led to a negative impact on students unless it was closely monitored to ensure that the new workload did not overload the student. However, a higher workload could lead to better grades, but instructors had to be aware of when the additional work became too much for the students. (Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2011) for teachers that are considering implementing a new teaching style because of its benefit on students' achievement, it is imperative to mitigate the potentially negative effects of changing styles so students may reap the benefits.

The researchers focused on achievement in natural sciences. A problem-based teaching style may be better suited for natural sciences than for other subjects. Teachers of natural sciences and similar subject areas can incorporate this teaching style to improve students' achievement in the subject. However, a change in teaching style must be done with caution, remaining sensitive to load imposed on the student and the needs of the students during process. (Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2011)

The interplay between culture and teaching style has been studied by many researchers including Morgan (2010) and Bourque, Bouchamma, and Larose (2010). The culture of the students in a teacher's classroom and the teaching style used to teach them can positively or negatively impact achievement. Teaching styles that adapt to the needs of a specific population can benefit those students' propensity for achievement. Thus, where the students' cultural backgrounds dictate, teaching styles may need to be adapted.

Morgan (2010) examined the impact of teaching styles in classrooms with cultural minorities. Specifically, the author looked African-American, Hispanic, Asian-Pacific American, and Native American students. The author notes that cultural norms impact how a student learns, with some ethnicities preferring cooperative work in the classroom and others that prefer a detached learning environment where they work independently of other students. (Morgan, 2010)

From certain cultures, the author provides example of different classroom behaviors. Native Americans show a preference for group activities and cooperative learning. Asian-Pacific Americans, on the other hand, remain relatively silent during discussions in courses because expression of one's own viewpoint to an authority figure is considered a challenge of authority and is disrespectful. The author urges culturally responsive teaching styles that treat students as individuals. (Morgan, 2010)

The study of aboriginal students in science education found that disparate achievement between aboriginal students and non-aboriginal students in Canada could be partly explained by a disjoint between teaching methods and learning styles. The authors noted that a complete switch did not render the best results for the students. Rather, a teaching method that balanced various teaching styles achieved optimal results for students. (Bourque, Bouchamma, and Larose, 2010)

Students can be exposed to the teaching styles that they are most comfortable with, which may positively impact their achievement. However, teachers should gradually introduce other teaching styles that cultural minorities are less comfortable with (Morgan, 2010). In this manner, the students are developing comfort with norms that may be present when they move onto a different classroom. As noted by Bourque, Bouchamma, and Larose (2010), by balancing the various teaching methods, students see the best results for their achievement in different subject matters.