Perceptions of learning versus teaching styles

The student perspective is a missing element in learning research, particularly for preferences in learning according to Sternberg’s intelligence theory. This study examined the way that a group of nine students describe their own learning styles and the learning environment of the classes they take by using two sorting procedures. Three viewpoints emerged from the interpretation of the data, which were named Individualized Practical Understanding, Social Imagination, and Reflective Analysis. The emergent viewpoints seem to suggest that a more nuanced understanding of learning occurs within-person.