Many educators believe that students have distinct learning styles-visual learners absorb information better through images, auditory learners prefer ...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Many educators believe that students have distinct learning styles-visual learners absorb information better through images, auditory learners prefer spoken instruction, and kinesthetic learners need hands-on activities. For decades, teachers have been encouraged to tailor their instruction to accommodate these different learning preferences. However, a comprehensive analysis by cognitive scientists Harold Pashler and colleagues, reviewing numerous controlled studies involving thousands of students, found no evidence that matching teaching methods to supposed learning styles improves academic outcomes, and that student performance depends more on the content being taught than on the delivery method.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Research fails to support a widely accepted belief about learning and instruction.
Educators have spent decades trying to identify the most effective teaching methods for different students.
A comprehensive study of learning styles is notable for examining thousands of students across multiple controlled experiments.
The most important factor in student success is the subject matter rather than how it is presented.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Many educators believe that students have distinct learning styles—visual learners absorb information better through images, auditory learners prefer spoken instruction, and kinesthetic learners need hands-on activities.' |
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| 'For decades, teachers have been encouraged to tailor their instruction to accommodate these different learning preferences.' |
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| 'However, a comprehensive analysis by cognitive scientists Harold Pashler and colleagues, reviewing numerous controlled studies involving thousands of students, found no evidence that matching teaching methods to supposed learning styles improves academic outcomes,' |
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| 'and that student performance depends more on the content being taught than on the delivery method.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research has found no evidence supporting the widely accepted educational belief that matching teaching methods to students supposed learning styles improves academic performance.
Argument Flow: The passage starts by establishing a common belief in education about learning styles and how teachers have been encouraged to accommodate them. It then presents research that directly contradicts this belief, showing no evidence that matching teaching methods to learning styles helps students, and concludes with the research finding that content is more important than delivery method.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer needs to capture that there is a contrast between what many people believe and what research actually shows
- The passage is fundamentally about a widely accepted belief being challenged by evidence
- The right answer should focus on research contradicting or failing to support a commonly held educational belief
Research fails to support a widely accepted belief about learning and instruction.
✓ Correct
- Correct - Perfectly captures the main structure: research vs. widely accepted belief
- 'Research fails to support' matches exactly what Pashlers study found
- 'Widely accepted belief about learning and instruction' accurately describes the learning styles theory
Educators have spent decades trying to identify the most effective teaching methods for different students.
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Focuses only on what educators have been doing (first part of passage)
- Misses the crucial research contradiction that is the main point
A comprehensive study of learning styles is notable for examining thousands of students across multiple controlled experiments.
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Focuses on study methodology rather than findings
- Misses the contradiction between beliefs and evidence
The most important factor in student success is the subject matter rather than how it is presented.
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - States only one specific finding from the research
- Too narrow and misses the broader point about challenging accepted beliefs