Learning through reflection: transforming the teaching of auxiliary drawing with Kolb’s learning styles in action research cycles

This action research study examines how the teaching of auxiliary drawing can be transformed through the use of Kolb’s learning styles. Conducted with twenty-four secondary learners in Malaysia, the study involved two iterative cycles in which all students engaged with a full range of teaching techniques aligned with Kolb’s experiential learning preferences. Offering every technique to every learner encouraged greater flexibility and supported a more holistic understanding of spatial and conceptual demands. Reflection was central to the process, guiding decisions within and between cycles. Evidence was generated through document analysis of students’ drawings, observation checklists of procedural accuracy and learner feedback on their experiences. These sources informed ongoing refinement of teaching techniques, including gamification, voice and choice, inquiry-based tasks, sketching competitions, mnemonic teaching, think-pair-share, hands-on activities and facilitated practice. By the end of Cycle 2, 83% of students reached the mastery threshold of 80%, with performance maintained in subsequent school examinations. The study shows how reflective, cyclical inquiry strengthens pedagogical judgement and supports more responsive, inclusive and practice-grounded teaching in technical drawing classrooms.