This makes it quite difficult sometimes to explain the origin of students’ behaviour. For instance, students can come from a cultural background and previous learning experiences that predispose them for rote learning or memorisation. Now, what will happen to these students in a class will depend on several different factors, including their teachers’ beliefs and expectations. If they meet a teacher who doesn’t encourage critical thinking, personal understanding, problem solving and creative work, these students will probably adopt the teacher’s approach. In the same way, if a teacher believes that her students prefer rote learning and memorisation as their cultural learning styles, she may, even unconsciously, decide to structure her lessons to cater for this type of learning – and this, in turn, will lead students to adopt this approach. So you see that learning styles and teaching approach can be linked in a sort of vicious circle!