Learning Styles of American Indian/Alaska Native Students: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice
The author of this article reviews theories, research, and models of the learning styles of American Indian/Alaska Native students, suggesting that they generally learn in ways characterized by social/affective emphasis, harmony, holistic perspectives, expressive creativity, and nonverbal communication. Native learning styles are strongly influenced by language, culture, and heritage and are “different,” but not deficient, according to the author. Implications for instruction, curricula, assessment, and future research are discussed.
The purposes of this article are explained well and met effectively, providing a very detailed literature review of research related to different learning styles of American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native students. The resource would be valuable as a basis for improved understanding of AI education learning. The paper is well written and organized and, except for a few instances, provides an unbiased perspective on this topic. Readers should know that this is a lengthy article. Researchers and practitioners alike should find the article useful, not only with the research reviewed, but with the implications for educating AI populations. However, evidence of effectiveness of the recommendations is scant. Overall, this is a worthwhile resource.