Book

How are learning preferences expressed among pre-service teachers in Ghana, and how accurately can they be represented by a single dominant learning-style category? This study examines Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) scores and highest-scoring classifications among 1,496 Level 100 pre-service teachers from eight public Colleges of Education in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. Using a cross-sectional survey and the 80-item LSQ, the study investigates four learning-preference dimensions: Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist. It also explores whether the resulting classifications are associated with gender, teaching-level specialisation and programme family. The findings reveal that 44.5% of respondents recorded tied maximum scores across two or more learning-style dimensions. Among those with a unique highest-scoring dimension, Activist was the most frequent (28.7%), followed by Theorist (12.0%), Reflector (9.5%) and Pragmatist (5.3%). Statistically significant associations were observed between learning-style classification and gender, teaching level and programme family, although the effect sizes were relatively small. By examining both the distribution of learning-style scores and the substantial occurrence of tied classifications, this study challenges the assumption that learners can always be assigned a single dominant learning style. It advocates a cautious, descriptive interpretation of learning preferences rather than treating them as fixed learner identities. The study highlights the importance of flexible and inclusive teacher education that integrates active engagement, critical reflection, theoretical understanding and practical application. This work will interest teacher educators, pre-service teachers, educational researchers, lecturers, curriculum developers and policymakers concerned with improving teacher preparation and promoting responsive pedagogical practices.