You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner: The Troubled History of the Learning Style Idea

by Thomas Fallace

A compelling history of the learning style concept and how it was shaped by shifting ideas in psychology, anthropology, and education.
 
The widely embraced notion that we all process information in one of three distinct modes—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—has informed educational practices for decades. In recent years, however, numerous studies have questioned the effectiveness of aligning instruction with the alleged learning styles of individual students. So, why is it still commonplace in the literature on beneficial teaching at all levels of education?

In You Are Not a Kinesthetic The Troubled History of a Dangerous Idea, historian Thomas Fallace traces the origins, evolution, and history of the learning style idea, demonstrating its relationship to a legacy of unequal education for children of color. Fallace argues that the research supporting the learning style idea was problematic from its inception in the 1910s and that it was used to label and justify a diminished curriculum for many Black and Latine students, whose cultural differences were perceived as weaknesses. In recent years, numerous empirical studies have not found the approach to be effective. This fascinating history clearly shows the danger of sorting and labeling students with permanent style identities and makes a strong case for removing learning styles as the basis for any educators’ instructional toolkit.

The first book-length history of learning styles, You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner encourages us all to consider the research, be open to future developments and updates, and question even our most intuitive assumptions.
 

Genres: Nonfiction

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2025

Reviews

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallace does a great job of looking at really examining the origins and theorists of learning styles beyond the everyday VARK (visual, auditory, reading & kinesthetic) style most educators are aware of. Something I liked was that he really did try to look at the benefits of different perspectives and analyses, but also weighed them against the evidence base and research standards (which overwhelmingly stated that learning styles don't have much of an impact on learning; caring for students, having high expectations, and trying to make lessons accessible do have impact). I also really appreciated that the writer is a professor who teaches people learning to teach, wanting his students and teachers generally to be informed and critical of thigns.

[Jean Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous, maddening, meticulously-researched history of the learning styles idea, its application, and its (often unintended) consequences!