Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 7

Proverbs 9:9 ESVGive instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

This is the last learning style in Jung’s theory of learning styles. This one will wrap up the series and then we can start looking into applying them in the classroom.

The Interpersonal style of learning is the Sensing-Feeling learners and they are the friendly ones! These students are sensitive to people’s feeling and truly want to learn about you and your life. They often take a personal approach to learning and go with what “feels right” to them. They enjoy talking to and about people and find it interesting to learn what they can about people. These are the ones who enjoy biographies and true-to-life stories.

They are the helpers in the classroom and want to be recognized for their efforts. They look for that personal relationship with their teacher as well as their fellow students. They may come to you asking if they can help but many times it is just to engage in a conversation or are just seeking a little attention.

Interpersonal students are the social. They like to work with others, share their ideas and get input from friends. They are cooperative not competitive and they need reassurance that they are doing well at the task they have been given. They will complete tasks more for praise than their own interest in it. They may also think and read out loud even when it is on their own.

They want to know the value of learning and will want to make a connection to their lives and feelings. If a lesson doesn’t connect them to real-life then they may disengage and you will find them talking to a friend.

Here is the next list I took from the book So Each May Learn. I mentioned this in the first post on this subject. I highly recommend it as it has great charts, visuals, and ways to integrate all of this into your classroom.

Sensing-Feeling or Interpersonal Learners

Prefers to learn by:

• Studying about things that directly affect people’s lives rather than impersonal facts
• Receiving personal attention and encouragement from his/her teachers
• Being part of a team-collaborating with other students
• Activities that help him/her learn about his/herself and how he/she feels about things

Learns best from:

• Group experiences and projects
• Loving attention
• Personal expression and personal encounters
• Role playing

Likes:

• Receiving personal attention and encouragement
• Opportunities to be helpful in class
• Personal feedback
• Sharing personal feelings and experiences with others

Dislikes:

• Long periods of working alone silently
• Emphasis on factual detail
• Highly competitive games where someone loses
• Detailed and demanding routines.

 

One thing to remember, these are NOT “one size fits all” categories. Everyone uses all four styles throughout their life, but may show more strength in one or two of them. Depending on circumstance or context you may see a learning style descriptor which is quite different from their strengths.

A good place to start using these learning styles in the classroom is to differentiate instruction, integrate curriculum, show many ways to problem solve, and provide choices in learning.

Blessings to you,

Tammy

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 3

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Proverbs 2:6

Did you take and/or administer the tests? What did you find out? What two areas did you fall in? The two areas where you and your students fell are the learning styles I will be discussing in this post.

Let’s begin with a simple explanation of each learning style. If you are Sensing & Thinking you are considered Mastery learning style. Mastery learners are realistic, practical and matter-of-fact. They are efficient and result-oriented, preferring action to words. They have a high-energy for doing things that are logical and useful. (This one was my lowest score). You will probably find a lot of the Type-A personalities fall in this learning style.

If you are Sensing & Feeling you are considered Interpersonal learning style. Interpersonal learners are sociable, friendly, and interpersonally oriented. They are sensitive to their own feelings as well as others’. They want to learn about things that affect them directly. It’s not about the facts to them; it’s about social interactions about the world around them.

If you are Intuitive & Thinking you are considered Understanding learning style. Understanding learners are theoretical, intellectual, and knowledge-oriented. They like a challenge and the ability to think things through. They are curious, like to know the theory behind the learning, and like complex problems.

If you are Intuitive & Feeling you are considered Self-Expressive learning style. Self-Expressive learners are curious, insightful, and imaginative. They dare to dream, are committed to their values, and open to alternative ideas. They search for new and unusual ways to express themselves. (This was my highest score on the test!)

The visual below shows you the relationship of each function and style. My Highest score was Self-Expressive and my lowest was Mastery, they are opposites, you will usually find this in most cases. You may also find that one of the adjacent styles has a score close to your top score. Tendencies toward two styles are not a rarity, as you read the above descriptions you might agree that you fit into more than one, maybe not completely but in some respects. Remember, we are not trying to put students into a box; we are trying to see and help them work within their learning styles, whether it is one or more style.

Ponder over these a bit; in the next few post I will go into more detail on each of them and then offer some ways to incorporate them into your classroom.

Blessing to you,

Tammy