Learning styles. Teenagers learning style

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Learning styles. Teenagers learning style

lesson teenager pedagogical training

Have you ever listened to an entire lecture and then couldn't remember what the speaker had just said? Or have you ever read an entire page and not absorbed any of it? Have you ever had difficulty concentrating on your work? We all had such kind of problems during our studies. Solution is that you may only need to learn more about your individually learning style. You have your own way of learning new information and ideas. This is called your «learning style».

Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning Style which was designed by Drs. Kenneth and Rita Dunn has been developed through over 40 years of research and was valued over 800 experimental studies and over 75 universities internationally. They claim that learning style is the way in which each individual begins to: concentrate, process, absorb, retain new and different information. There were discovered 21 different elements that affect how people learn best. Let's go over the elements that affect most people in some way. Study environment as sound, light, temperature and seating. Some need absolute quiet to concentrate on their work, while others need background noise to focus on. Some people need bright light, when others need dim lighting. Some like it warm. Others like it cool. A solid desk and chair are best for some learners. But for others, learning is better when sitting on a coach, pillow, or even a rug on the floor.

Each person has his/her own learning style. It also depends on the age of a person. For example, adolescences and adults learn in different way. Adolescence describes the teenage years between 13 and 19 and can be considered the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood. However, the physical and psychological changes that occur in adolescence can start earlier, during the preteen or «tween» years (ages 9 through 12). Adolescence can be a time of both disorientation and discovery. [1] As for teenage years are filled with hormone swings and misunderstandings, with fear and with awe, with too much responsibility and too little freedom. (Or is that «too much freedom and too little responsibility»?) Most teenagers can be moody, rude, impossible to talk to and difficult to live with. Experts agree that if your teen grunts good-morning, leaves the house without breakfast and dirty laundry on the floor, bangs the door on the way back in and slouches in silence through dinner… then he or she is a normal teenager who «will grow out of it». When working with teenagers, it is beneficial to understand how the adolescent brain differs from the adult brain and learning styles that typically work for teens.

Adolescent brains are still developing. Early adolescence is a time of increased production of gray matter in the brain. As the teaching experts at the Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students explain, gray matter is responsible for processing information. That and other types of brain development are not complete until age 25. Therefore, adolescent brains do not make the same connections as adult brains, and adolescent thinking and learning styles are unique to adolescents

A study conducted at Mid Sweden University, Sweden, and published in the Institute for Learning Styles Journal in 2011 compared and evaluated the learning styles of adolescents in academic programs, adolescents in vocational training programs, and all of their teachers. While adults sometimes prefer to work in quiet rooms, all of the adolescents in this study preferred some degree of sound in the room while they were working. This may help explain why teens often play music while doing their homework.

Emotion drives motivation and learning in adolescents. The addition of emotion in a presentation or lesson plan sometimes helps teenage students remember. At SPOTS, they are quick to point out that humor is positive but sarcasm is negative, and negative emotion will prevent learning. Positive jokes that do not make the student feel self-conscious or threatened heighten the learning experience.

Another finding in the Swedish study was that while teachers are generally morning people, adolescents seem to pay the most attention and are motivated to do their work in the early afternoon. This afternoon learning style is consistent with the teenage years; younger children and adults work better in the morning than do adolescents.

Adolescents are not the only age group that learns well visually, but according to both the Swedish study and SPOTS, adults are better at learning via listening than teenagers. In general, adolescents learn well when presented with graphics and manipulatives. Seeing and doing are important aspects of adolescent learning styles.

Teenagers are schoolboys and schoolgirls. Schoolwork is important for teenagers. Understanding the subjects that is taught in middle school and high school set the stage for the rest of a teenager's life. The ability to learn and process new information is a huge key towards teenage success. By the time kids reach their teenage years, their learning styles have already been realized. Children begin developing their learning styles when they first enter the world and complete this part of development usually by the age of twelve. It is important to understand that people have different learning styles, parental influences, peers, and mentors that affect their learning.

First, Different learning styles and curves. Ever wonder why teens seem to put off the easier material until last minute? Or why there must be complete silence for him or her to study effectively? Both of these are largely due to the teen's learning style. The way that a teen learns has a big impact on his or her study habits. You might notice that teens learn better under pressure so he or she puts off studying until the day before the test. Teens whose learning styles are at their best when there are no distractions will need complete silence when they are trying to study. When teens are not in the situation that best fits their learning style, they will have trouble with their study habits as well. There are four different learning styles that affect a teenager's study habits, these are visual, auditory, actual learning, and analytic. Visual learners. There are those teens that are visual learners. These teens work best with visual representation of the information. This includes pictures, symbols, charts, diagrams, and colors. Auditory learners. These teens learn best if they hear the information. When auditory-learning teens study, you might find them reading aloud because it helps them to better learn the material when they hear themselves read it aloud. Actual learners. When it comes to practical subjects like Math and English, these teens would rather do some trial and error rather than actually read and learn the rules first. Although, it might sound contrary to what most parents think their kinds should do, it is not good to try to change your child's learning style. Instead, find ways that you can help develop his study habits through this trial and error kind of learning style. Analytic learners. These kinds of learners deal well with details. You might notice your teen reading and rereading the information, while taking some time to reflect on what was just read in the meantime. An analytic learner deals well with lists, patterns, homework, and practice exercises. Since this kind of teen deals well with goals, set some steps and study goals for your teen to aid in his study habits.

Second, Parental influences. Parents are a huge influence in regards to teenage learning but, Teenagers don't learn much from parental warnings and lecturing. Most parents have tried that without much success. And unfortunately, one or both parents all too often cave in when their children get in trouble. Each time parents do so, a valuable lesson isn't learned and a mistake is apt to be repeated. Also, Teens that were implied with tremendous amounts of discipline by theirs show more promise than most teens.

Third, Peer pressure. Peer pressure is one thing that all teens have in common. You can't escape it. It is everywhere. Whether it is pressure to conform to a group norm or pressure to act, peer pressure is something everybody has to deal with at some time in his or her life.

Children, especially during adolescence, begin to spend a lot more time with their friends, and less time with their family. This makes them more susceptible to the influences of their peers. It is important to remember that teenage friends can have a positive influence; we should therefore find friends that have similar interests and views as those you are trying to develop in your children, including doing well in school, having respect for others and avoiding drug use, smoking and drinking, etc.

Peer pressure isn't always negative. Peers may pressure others into negative behaviors or away from positive behaviors, but can push in positive directions as well. Not all teens react to peer pressure in the same way. Gender and age are factors. For example, boys are more susceptible than girls to peer pressure, particularly in risk situations. Younger teens are more easily influenced than older teens, with peer pressure peaking in about eighth or ninth grade. Individual characteristics such as confidence level, personality and degree of maturity make a difference. Peer pressure varies according to the situation: being with one close friend, in the small clique of friends, or seeing what the larger peer groups doing in school.

Finally, Teacher's influence. Teachers play a significant role in teenage learning. Since teachers can affect how students perceive the course materials, it has been found that teachers who showed enthusiasm towards the course materials and students can affect a positive learning experience towards the course materials. On teacher/course evaluations, it was found that teachers who have a positive disposition towards the course content tend to transfer their passion to receptive students. Students are likely to build stronger relations with teachers who are friendly and supportive and will show more interest in courses taught by these teachers. Teachers that spend more time interacting and working directly with students are perceived as supportive and effective teachers. Effective teachers have been shown to invite student participation and decision making, allow humor into their classroom, and demonstrate a willingness to play.

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