Assessing Malaysian Preschool Educators’ Knowledge and Classroom Application of VAK Learning Styles in Teaching Reading
List of Authors
Bakialekshmi V. Selvanathan
Keyword
VAK Learning Style, Preschool Teachers, Reading Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Qualitative Case Study
Abstract
This qualitative, exploratory case study aims to discover preschool teachers’ understanding of the VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic) Learning Style in reading instruction in Malaysia. The sample consisted of four preschool teachers from the Klang Valley, Selangor. The research is based on the national education system's concern about the reading problems that students in primary and secondary schools still struggle with; this has led the Malaysian government to call for more effective interventions in early literacy. The VAK Learning Style is considered highly effective because it meets learners' varied preferences, and the engagement through multisensory stimulation can also be considered a facilitator. The teachers’ insights into VAK in reading classes comprised six major points. Three of them showed a basic conceptual understanding of VAK, while one needed further clarification. The teachers viewed VAK as: (1) a learning method that includes seeing, hearing, and movement; (2) an approach that recognizes students’ preferred learning styles; (3) a teaching strategy; (4) a technique for encouraging participation; (5) a way of providing an active and fun learning environment; and (6) a method that still needs to be developed in the cognitive domain, especially regarding phonemic awareness. Besides, they pointed out problems they face with timing and the organization of activities, particularly those related to moving about in the classroom. Among other things, the study recommends that future research should delve deeper into teachers’ views of the kinaesthetic learning style and its use in stimulating cognitive development during the initial stages of reading.