IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rfa/aefjnl/v4y2017i1p72-83.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Accommodating Different Learning Styles in the Teaching of Economics: with Emphasis on Fleming and Mills¡¯s Sensory-based Learning Style Typology

Author

Listed:
  • Hongxiang Zhang

Abstract

Students prefer to learn in different ways. These learning preferences are commonly known as learning styles. This variety in learning styles among students suggests that instructors should teach their course materials in different ways to cater to different learning styles. In addition, according to (Nilson 2010), when our society is concerned with fairness and equality, teaching to different styles is a main facet of equity. This paper focuses on Fleming and Mill¡¯s VARK model (1992) to describe students¡¯ different learning styles and explain why and in what ways economics instructors can accommodate different learning styles in their teaching. More specifically, the present paper aims to examine different learning styles and introduce teaching tools for accommodating different learning styles in the context of teaching economics. In addition to identifying learning-style-specific teaching instruments for the teaching of economics, the paper provides some prominent examples of each in the literature of economic education. Finally, considering recent advancements and availability of various technologies, existing evidence, general growing consensus on the issue, and many other reasons mentioned throughout the paper, it is argued and suggested that it makes more sense to take a multimodal approach to the teaching of economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Hongxiang Zhang, 2017. "Accommodating Different Learning Styles in the Teaching of Economics: with Emphasis on Fleming and Mills¡¯s Sensory-based Learning Style Typology," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 72-83, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:rfa:aefjnl:v:4:y:2017:i:1:p:72-83
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://redfame.com/journal/index.php/aef/article/view/1921/2086
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://redfame.com/journal/index.php/aef/article/view/1921
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Gilbert & Reza Oladi, 2011. "Excel Models for International Trade Theory and Policy: An Online Resource," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 95-95, January.
    2. Alexandra Naumenko & Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "Clarifying Theoretical Intricacies through the Use of Conceptual Visualization: Case of Production Theory in Advanced Microeconomics," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 103-122, November.
    3. Carl T. Bergstrom & Theodore C. Bergstrom & Rodney J. Garratt, 2013. "Choosing Partners: A Classroom Experiment," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 47-57, March.
    4. Robert Van Horn & Monica Van Horn, 2013. "What Would Adam Smith Have on His iPod? Uses of Music in Teaching the History of Economic Thought," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 64-73, March.
    5. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad MOOSAVIAN, 2016. "Teaching Economics and Providing Visual “Big Pictures”," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 119-133, March.
    6. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "The Visual ¡°Big Picture¡± of Intermediate Macroeconomics: A Pedagogical Tool to Teach Intermediate Macroeconomics," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(9), pages 234-248, September.
    7. Michael Watts & Chineze Christopher, 2012. "Using Art (Paintings, Drawings, and Engravings) to Teach Economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(4), pages 408-422, October.
    8. Charles A. Holt & Susan K. Laury, 1997. "Classroom Games: Voluntary Provision of a Public Good," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 209-215, Fall.
    9. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "A Comprehensive Visual “Wheel of Duality” in Consumer Theory," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 22(3), pages 357-358, August.
    10. Ralph A. Terregrossa & Valerie Englander, 2001. "Teaching College Economics : Efficiency Issues," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 17(Fall 2001), pages 52-60.
    11. Ralph A. Terregrossa & Fred Englander & Zhaobo Wang, 2009. "Why Learning Styles Matter For Student Achievement In College Economics," Journal for Economic Educators, Middle Tennessee State University, Business and Economic Research Center, vol. 9(1), pages 16-31, Summer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohsen Edalati, 2017. "Harmonizing Teaching Tools with Cognitive Learning Outcomes in the Teaching of Economics," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(1), pages 119-129, January.
    2. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad MOOSAVIAN, 2016. "Teaching Economics and Providing Visual “Big Pictures”," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 119-133, March.
    3. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "The Visual Decoding of the ¡°Wheel of Duality¡± in Consumer Theory in Modern Microeconomics: An Instructional Tool Usable in Advanced Microeconomics to Turn ¡°Pain¡± into ¡°Joy¡±," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(3), pages 288-304, August.
    4. Mehrdad KHADIMEE, 2016. "The Sources of Economic Growth in Iran’s Economy," Journal of Economics Library, KSP Journals, vol. 3(4), pages 621-631, December.
    5. Matthew C. Rousu, 2018. "Using Show Tunes to Teach about Free (and Not-So-Free) Markets," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Winter 20), pages 111-128.
    6. Diaz Vidal, Daniel & Mungenast, Kyle & Diaz Vidal, Jesus, 2020. "Economics through film: Thinking like an economist," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    7. Mahmood Mahmoudzadeh & Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "Measuring and Analyzing the Shares of Economic Growth Sources in the Mining Sector of Iran: A Neoclassical Growth Accounting Approach," Papers 1612.00833, arXiv.org.
    8. Grigoriadis, Theocharis, 2017. "Religion, administration & public goods: Experimental evidence from Russia," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 42-60.
    9. Alexandra Naumenko & Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "Clarifying Theoretical Intricacies through the Use of Conceptual Visualization: Case of Production Theory in Advanced Microeconomics," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 103-122, November.
    10. Gerald Eisenkopf & Pascal A. Sulser, 2016. "Randomized controlled trial of teaching methods: Do classroom experiments improve economic education in high schools?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 211-225, July.
    11. Maertens, Annemie & Michelson, Hope & Nourani, Vesall, 2015. "Cooperative Behavior in Farmer Clubs: Experimental Evidence from Malawi," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205551, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Charles A. Holt, 2011. "Teaching Experimental Economics: Reinforcing Paradigms and Bringing Research into the Undergraduate Classroom," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 47, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Hall, Joshua C. & Podemska-Mikluch, Marta, 2015. "Teaching the economic way of thinking through Op-eds," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 13-21.
    14. Kandul, Serhiy & Lanz, Bruno, 2021. "Public good provision, in-group cooperation and out-group descriptive norms: A lab experiment," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    15. Wayne Geerling & G. Dirk Mateer & Brian O’Roark, 2020. "Music Then and Now: Using Technology to Build a Lyric Animation Module," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 65(2), pages 264-276, October.
    16. Hart Hodges & Yvonne Durham & Steve Henson, 2018. "Economic Education Production Functions for the Principles of Macroeconomics and the Principles of Microeconomics: Is There a Difference?," Journal for Economic Educators, Middle Tennessee State University, Business and Economic Research Center, vol. 18(2), pages 22-41, Fall.
    17. Lin, Yu-Hsuan, 2021. "A classroom experiment on the specific factors model," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    18. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "The Visual ¡°Big Picture¡± of Intermediate Macroeconomics: A Pedagogical Tool to Teach Intermediate Macroeconomics," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(9), pages 234-248, September.
    19. John Gilbert, 2009. "A 'Live' Version of the Specific Factors Model in Excel," Working Papers 200906, Utah State University, Department of Economics and Finance, revised 11 Oct 2009.
    20. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2022. "Using the Interactive Graphic Syllabus in the Teaching of Economics," Papers 2209.02665, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    teaching of economics; learning styles; teaching modes; teaching tools; multimodal teaching; pedagogy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rfa:aefjnl:v:4:y:2017:i:1:p:72-83. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Redfame publishing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepflch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.