Culture and Learning: A Study of the learning style preferences of Japanese Students

Abstract

Following a brief review of recent research on learning styles and the learning experiences of Japanese students, this article describes a replication of a study by Reid (1987) of learning style preferences of ESL learners in the US. A questionnaire asking students to identify their perceptual learning preferences was administered in either Japanese or English to 440 students at 8 Universities in Japan and to Japanese students at a tertiary college in New Zealand. Statistical analysis shows that variables such as sex, college level, years of English study, number of semesters with a foreign teacher and study overseas are all related to learning style differences. Japanese students appear to exhibit no major learning style but have multiple minor learning styles. The study concludes by discussing the implications of the results for TESOL teachers working with Japanese students.