Identification of visual-spatial learners among gifted and non-gifted children: A validation study of the My Thinking Style survey

Abstract

Children with a visual-spatial learning style have a higher risk of being underserved and misunderstood than their auditory-sequential classmates in the current, predominantly verbally oriented educational system. This risk seems especially important for gifted children, who have a higher risk of underachieving. Currently, there is no valid identification instrument for the visual-spatial learning style. This study aimed to validate the My Thinking Style (MTS) survey by Mann (2005b) on gifted and non-gifted children between six and ten years old. Children identified as visual-spatial learners and auditory-sequential learners were compared on four WISC-III subtests and six AWMA subtests. Only in the group of eight years and above, the questionnaire had a sufficient internal reliability for screening purposes of groups. Visual-spatial learners (as identified by their MTS scores) scored marginally higher on the performance scale of the WISC-III than the auditory-sequential learners. The two groups did not differ in working memory and verbal abilities. These results indicate that visual-spatial learners might compensate their verbal abilities using a visual-spatial thinking style. Proposals for future research are formulated to test this speculation. In this study, the validity of the MTS could not be established.