A Case Study of Adopting Learning Style Theory into Physical Science Teaching

[[abstract]]本研究主旨為透過一班國二理化課室實施融入學習風格理論之教學，深入探究八位不同學習風格之個案學生對於教學改變期間教師教學表徵的知覺，及在教學改變前後所使用的學習策略。研究設計主要採用質為主、量為輔的設計。研究者於二年級上學期初進行課室觀察和晤談，以收集個案學生理化的學習策略之相關資料。二年級下學期初由個案教師在為期一個月，採用九重教學策略－教師講解科學概念，閱讀文本資料，填寫學習單，動手操作食譜式實驗，運用教學媒體、以小組搶答進行課後複習，進行小組教學，製作立體模型，進行引導式科學探究，和運用電腦動畫及教學錄影帶輔助教學等教學策略以符合四種學習風格學生的需求。本研究的資料來源計有改編Herrmann(1986)之學習偏好調查表、學生學習回饋單、課室觀察錄影（音）帶資料、晤談資料，和開會記錄。 研究發現四種不同學習風格的個案學生，對於偏向A、B類型傳統教學中教師講解科學概念、閱讀文本資料、操作食譜式實驗與運用教學媒體進行複習的知覺回饋，大都是偏向正面的態度，其中個人的學習風格是影響其知覺感受的重要因素。但個案學生對於填寫較開放的學習單，則是普遍呈現適應不良的情形。偏向C、D類型的教學策略，如小組教學、製作模型、播放動畫與教學錄影帶等活動，則帶給個案學生一些不同以往的學習刺激，其中C類型的個案學生因其學習風格，對於小組教學的反應最佳，覺得小組活動增加同學之間的互動；其他的正向知覺回饋包括創新、有趣、刺激。然而，也有部分的個案學生呈現一些較為批判回饋。 融入學習風格教學，對於提升C類型個案學生學習策略之提升最有效益。其中B類型個案學生會受到小組教學的影響，開始學習使用C類型的學習風格，透過小組討論促進對於理化知識內容的理解。然而，對於其他個案學生而言，他們理化的學習策略變異性不大。[[abstract]]There are two purposes of the study, the first was to adopt learning style theory (Herrmann, 1991; Lumsdaine & Lumsdaine, 1995) and teaching around the wheel (Silver & Hanson, 1998) into designing two units of physical science course, and to investigate eight students with different learning styles on their perceptions toward these teaching strategies. The second purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the learning style teaching units on the case students' achievement and motivation. The combinations of both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study. Data collection included questionnaires, interview, classroom observation, students' assignments and tests scores. Researcher conducted class observation and interview in the beginning of first semester to select case students and their learning strategies and motivation in the physical science course. In the second semester, the case teacher spent one month (about 24 class periods) to teach 2 units addressed on learning style lessons. Her teaching strategies included concept explaining, reading science text, filling worksheets, conducting cookbook experiment, playing an animated cartoon and teaching video, using team competition to review the lesson, group work, making three-D model, and conducted guided inquiry. Data collected for analysis was from participant observation, interviews, documents, and questionnaire investigations. The results of this study indicated that although the case students with four different learning style, they expressed positive attitude toward the teaching strategies such as concept explanation, reading science text, conducting cookbook experiment, playing an animated cartoon and teaching video, and review the lesson by team competition. While these teaching strategies were originally designed to match students with learning styles A and B. From all of the case students' responses, it indicated that students' own learning style affect their awareness of these traditional teaching activities. Teaching strategies suited for students' with C and D learning style, such as group activities, making three-D model, playing an animated cartoon and using video bring some stimulus for all of the students. Especially students with C learning style showed positive attitude toward group activities. They felt the group activities could increase students' interaction. However, there were some students felt the group activities were time-consuming (D boy), can't understand the content from the video (B boy), and could not adopt group discussion (A boy, B2 girl, and D boy). Adopting learning style theory into science teaching promoted best for students' with C learning style. Other students such as B1 girl and B boy were also influenced by group activities and started to use group discussion to learn physical science. But to other students, their learning strategies didn't change very much. B2 girl and D girl still used memorization to learn, and didn't develop effective learning strategies. D boy complained that teacher's new teaching did not offer an opportunity to repeat what he had learned, so his academic achievement decreased. The implication of this study will be discussed in the paper