I teach as I learned?: The role of learning style in university teachers

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the learning and teaching styles of university teachers and establish relationships between them. A multi-method study was designed to integrate the results of 2 techniques (observations and interviews) and 2 types of analysis (quantitative and qualitative). A total of 6 university teachers with at least 25 years of experience, took part. The results indicated relationships of continuity and discontinuity between the observed teaching styles and verbalised learning styles. This means that learning style does not act as deterministic-direct mediator of a particular teaching style. It is argued that the role is more about regulatory mediation than a deterministic relationship. It is concluded that learning style has a supervisory role of teaching styles. Therefore, the educational implications are linked from different angles to the possibility that teachers can recognise and reflect on their own ways of learning and teaching, leading to opportunities to improve educational practices in the university.