This document examines the differences of cognitive styles and how they pertain to student performance and effective teaching. Persons identified as "field-dependent" people are particularly attuned and differentially attend to the social dimensions of their environment. Due to this orientation, these persons appear to be more skillful at learning socially oriented material such as social studies and humanities. Students identified as "field-independent", on the other hand, appear to behave as if governed by general, internally consistent principles that they have abstracted from their experiences. Such students experience greater success at subjects less social, such as math and science. Teachers also give evidence of similar cognitive styles, and these ways of thinking influence their teaching methods. Effective reinforcement methods, modes of criticism, and teaching techniques based upon understanding these differences in cognitive style are examined. The implications for preservice teacher education programs are identified, and a strategy for teacher inservice treatment techniques is proposed. It is also suggested that further applications of the cognitive-style construct to the placement of students and teachers with similar cognitive styles could enhance the learning experience. (JD)