Formal/Informal Preferences and Achievement

Nganwa (1986) identified the learning styles of 111 South African children in Grades 2-5, using the Learning Style Inventory. Fifty five subjects indicating a strong preferences for the design element were subsequently given a reading comprehension test in both formal and informal design. On both subtests, subjects achieved significantly higher scores when tested in their preferred environments than when tested in a mismatched environment. Findings suggest that children may underachieve if their performance is limited by being in a classroom dissonant with their preferred learning style.