CONCEPTUAL LEARNING CHANNELS IN THE LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS Dvora Peretz Ben Gurion University The proposed article identifies a theoretical gap in theories of learning channels and conjectures the theoretical construct of conceptual learning channels to overcome this gap. It proposes a re-conceptualization of learning channels in order to promote a unified and inclusive perspective of learning channels. The theoretical attributes of learning channels are discussed in the context of theories of instruction and individual differences. INTRODUCTION An analysis of the data of an explorative study of abstraction processes in the learning of an abstract mathematical concept (Peretz, 2004) would suggest that the learning processes of three main aspects of the concept are not correlated, which paves the way for a hypothesis about the existence of conceptual learning channels. In my attempts to conceptualize the notion of conceptual learning channels I encountered numerous references to the concept of learning channels, and to related concepts, many seemingly different from one other. This article presents a brief synthesis of these theories in order to promote a unified theory in which the current concepts of learning channels and the hypothesized notion of conceptual learning channels could reside in accord. It first sorts out theories of individual difference so as to differentiate the proposed concept of conceptual learning channels from such concepts as ability, aptitude, learning styles, learning modalities, as well as from the concept of learning channels as currently used. A unified frame is proposed to situate the various concepts and to construct a re-conceptualization of the concept of learning channels. Theories of instruction maintain that pedagogical agents make conceptual assets accessible to students. Theories of individual differences suggest that abilities of an individual influence his/her perception and that a student perceives conceptual objects through preferred mediums. Pedagogical agents range from sensual modalities such as aural or visual, to graphical tools and to social scaffolding structures. Individual abilities include such attributes as intelligence and skills, whereas individual modes (modalities, mediums) are one’s cognitive learning preferences, i.e. learning styles. Over the years, notions such as mediums, modes, modalities, agents, preferences, skills, styles and channels have been seen as intrinsic character traits of a learner and as instructional methods used to convey knowledge. A specific notion (for example, visual modality) might be used as a pedagogical agent (visual presentation); as ability (classifying students as having strong visual perception); as a learning style (students prefer to learn through visual mediums than through conceptual or other mediums) and as a form of behavior. Using the same notion to describe different experiences--such as learning and teaching--reveals the