Learning Styles: The Neuromyth that Just Won't Die with Dr Louise Allen-Walker

We've reached the end of season 8 of Emma and Tom Talk Teaching, and to celebrate the end of another academic year, we're going to take on the end-of-level boss! Learning Styles is a neuromyth (something that people say about how the brain works that sounds attractive but is basically a load of rubbish). Not just any old neuromyth, but THE neuromyth that just refuses to lie down and die. For decades, some in the education world have been beguiled by the notion that all our pupils can be defined as visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners, and that those who teach them should plan to deliver content in all three of these forms. 

People have filled in questionnaires to find their learning style, people have made money off the back of the whole notion, and countless amounts of time, money, blood, sweat and tears have been expended on something that, as our guest points out early in the episode, has not only been thoroughly debunked, but is actively detrimental. 

And yet... and yet... still the myth endures, and still the learning styles monster rears its ugly head from time to time. 

So Tom has put out the bat signal, and a superhero for our times has answered the call: Dr Louise Allen-Walker from our psychology in education and criminology programmes joins him to engage in an act of public service. In this episode, we strike our own blow at learning styles: the neuromyth that just won't die. 

Plus, of course, the infamous Neuromyth Van makes an appearance towards the end of the episode, so Louise can put her top three most hated myths (apart from learning styles) in there to be taken away and crushed. 

Thanks to Louise for joining us today, and thanks to everyone for listening for another year! We'll be back soon. 

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Recorded in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus (with remote guest) on 21st May 2026

Thanks to our sound engineer Pete Lambern, and studio manager Adrian Rapps, as well as the whole team at Cardiff Met Sport Broadcast & Media, for their support this year.