EXPLORING STUDENTS' LEARNING STYLE THROUGH FLIPPED
CLASSROOM METHOD
Abstract
Technology has changed many of educators’ teaching patterns. The use of technology in teaching and
education has long been applied since time immemorial. Technology, to some extent, has also
affected educators’ teaching methods and this gave rise to the emergence of a number of pedagogical
methods, such as blended learning and flipped classroom, which resulted from the integration of
technology with traditional methods. Hence, many studies related to pedagogy, including flipped
classroom have been conducted at the University and school levels. However, based on previous
studies, effective educators’ teaching methods should be consistent with the learning style of students.
Although flipped classroom methods have been widely studied, not many emphasized on students’
learning styles in flipped classroom methods. Only a handful of the researchers emphasized on
students’ learning styles in flipped classroom methods. This research will discuss previous studies
about the needs and issues of students' learning styles, especially in the flipped classroom teaching
methods. In addition, this paper will also briefly comment on in-class activities studied by previous
researchers. Finally, the authors will state the learning styles and activities incorporated into the study.
However, the survey data cannot be reported since the data collection process is still ongoing.
Keywords: Flipped Classroom; Learning style; Project based learning; Technology.
2.1 Learning Style
Table 1 shows the previous studies on flipped classroom based on learning styles with focus on in
class activities. [8] implemented flipped classroom methods to a group of engineering students at a
University. This research by [8] involved a large group of undergraduate students. The research
findings revealed that, for a study involving a large sample, only half of the total number of students
preferred to continue with the flipped classroom methods. The other students preferred the traditional
methods. However [8] stated that the flipped classroom has the potential and is beneficial to students
who enjoy the learning style of learning environment type. According to [17] and [18], students classify
their learning according to four types of domain dimensions, namely:
1) Active / reflective
2) Sensing / intuitive
3) Visual / verbal
4) Sequential / global
Through the flipped classroom methods, [8] believes that students can learn more effectively if they
learn in a learning environment that they like as contained in the flipped classroom methods.
By contrast, authors [10], who did not do any study on the type of learning styles in his research,
viewed the use of technology as being able to accommodate students’ learning styles. In other words,
in the implementation of flipped classroom, students tend to adapt their learning styles to be more
dominant.
The integration of learning styles in flipped classroom is actually not something new as it began to be
emphasized since the flipped classroom method was introduced as early as 2000 by [11], known then
by the term inverted classroom. [11] outlined an instructional strategy, namely, inverted classroom that
is capable of being in synchronized with students' learning styles. It started when [11] agreed with [19]
who found that the consistency of pedagogy with learning styles is very important in ensuring that
students learn more efficiently. Thus, educators need to diversify their teaching methods to
accommodate the learning styles, although this seems difficult to happen in the existing traditional
methods. This is because, diversifying the teaching methods according to students' learning styles is
difficult due to time constraints. If educators want to fulfill the needs of students’ learning styles, they
need to extend the teaching time, and this is impossible to implement. Hence [11] set strategies to
develop inverted classroom methods capable of implementing various students’ learning styles without
having to extend the existing teaching time or ignoring any topic in the syllabus. Therefore, [11]
developed inverted classroom pedagogical methods, taking into considerations a few types of learning
styles which have the potentials to be adapted as follows:
1) Grasha-Reichmann Learning Style
2) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
3) Kolb
However, the authors believe that the students are able to absorb any type of learning style as long as
it benefits them. The authors also feel that the study on flipped classroom which applies students’
learning styles need to be implemented since the school level. This is supported by the findings from
the research context of [12] that most of the University students do not participate actively when class
activities such as debates and discussions take place. [12] also suggested some type of learning
styles that can be adapted in the flipped classroom methods such as Myers-Brigss. The learning style
of Myers-Brigss that uses Myers-Brigss Type Indicator is divided into four domains, namely:
1) Introvert-Extrovert
2) Sensing / intuitive
3) Thinking-Feeling
4) Perceiving-Judging
All the domains of the learning styles can be applied in the flipped classroom, which leads to an active
and effective learning.
[13] meanwhile customized Holistic Learner Development (HLD), a model developed to be used to
improve students’ cognitive development as a result of combining a few learning styles such as Kolb
and Vark. [14], [15] and [16] on the other hand, implemented the flipped classroom methods to a
group of University students without applying any learning style. The authors see the opportunities for
other researchers to explore the untouched area of study by making flipped classroom as a platform
for educators to diversify their teaching methods to be synchronized with students' learning styles.
2.2 In Class Activities
In this section, meanwhile, the authors will comment on in-class activities undertaken by previous
researchers. [8] and [11] focused on activities that involved group work as in-class activities. [10] on
the other hand, used a combination of Inquiry based learning to ensure effective engagement among
students. [12] took a very different approach by implementing opinion based learning activities.
However [12] found that students remain passive when given activities which involve debates and
discussions. Students also do not dare to argue against educators and they lack of ideas or opinions
when requested. Open ended questions prepared by [13] aim to improve students' critical thinking.
The research findings indicated that students could improve their thinking skills through problem
solving activities provided. Almost the same results were found by researcher [8] and [11] in whose
studies, team based learning was implemented in students' learning activities. Similarly, [14] and [15]
considered that the use of activities in the flipped classroom is important to make learning more active,
thus, undertaking cooperative problem based learning and project based learning activities.
3 DISCUSSION
In addition to fulfilling the requirement of the 21st century learning, flipped classroom is a method that
is able to unearth students’ talents. While a student is seen to be excellent academically at school, he
may not be able to show desired characteristics such as voicing up pithy opinions and giving ideas at
the tertiary higher education. He may not be active in group discussion sessions. Thus the
implementation of the flipped classroom is able to guide the existing traditional class in the right
direction in such a way that it becomes influential to students’ learning. In the opinion of the authors,
the students should have their learning nurtured since their schooling days. School life is a platform for
students to have their talents unearthed and is the time where flipped classroom methods should be
introduced.
In the context of the flipped classroom itself, learning styles and student activities are elements which
receive less attention. Hence, the authors are conducting a study which emphasizes on in-class
activities, namely, project based learning, applied through the VAK students’ learning styles. The
significance of the authors’ proposal was supported by The Intel Education Initiative report, which
suggested the application of VAK learning styles through the use of technology [20]. While, the use of
technology is suitable to be applied in project based learning. Thus, the authors would like to see the
resulting impact produced in the flipped classroom method [21]. However, the data collection from this
study is still on-going.