Exploring Learning Styles Expressed in Teaching Philosophies Among Agriculture University Teaching Faculty

Abstract

Faculty at universities must prepare students to successfully enter the workforce. Preparing students requires effective teaching, but excellence in teaching is complex and can be difficult to achieve. To capitalize on excellent and effective teaching, a teaching philosophy is necessary to embody the teaching faculty members’ personal philosophy of student learning in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore if a faculty members’ preferred learning style is expressed in his or her teaching philosophy statement. Using a mixed methods research design, findings revealed a majority of university faculty members identified an assortment of learning styles based on their teaching philosophy statements. It is recommended that university teaching faculty members engage in professional development opportunities that enhance their teaching philosophy. Experienced university teaching faculty with a diverse teaching philosophy should mentor early-career teaching faculty in developing instruction that incorporates all four learning styles.