Personality Types and Teaching

When education fails it is only natural to look for someone to blame. Sometimes children are blamed for not working hard enough or showing enough interest. Teachers are also blamed for lacking enthusiasm, not using the latest teaching methods or failing to understand their pupils. However, according to research carried out by Jane Kise and Beth Russel, the problems that arise in classroom may have a lot to do with personality clashes than personal inadequacies. The good news is that according to the same research, small changes designed to adapt to individual personality types can cause huge improvements to students' learning experience. The research uses Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tests as a framework for analysis of teaching and learning methods.
  1. Sensorial and Intuitive

    • Students who have a preference, a technical word in MBTI which describes a dominant quality, for sensing prefer to begin their learning experience with factual information and then move on to broader concepts. On the other hand, students who have a preference for intuition will often start with a glimpse of how ideas relate to each other and will look for facts to support their hunch. Teachers must be able to give the clear directions and gradual approach sensing students prefer, as well as allow for the more organic style of learning of intuitive students.

    Extroverts and Introverts

    • Extrovert students prefer to learn by doing and interacting with others. They like to include games, music and animated discussion into the classroom and need regular breaks to talk and move around. Introverts, on the other hand, enjoy having time for reflecting on new concepts and prefer silent reading and writing activities.

    Thinkers and Feelers

    • Feelers focus on the impact a decision will have on others and do not enjoy controversial discussions where they might be ridiculed. Thinkers, on the other hand, prefer to focus on the logic behind a topic and search for cause and effect interpretations and tautologies. Teachers can help by taking into account the more sensitive disposition towards correction of feelers and provide the logical framework thinkers thrive on.

    Judges and Perceivers

    • Judging students will naturally work off an internal clock that allows them to plan their work. This fits in nicely with how most schools operate, with a focus on schedules, grades and agendas. Perceiving students, however, have a more spontaneous, live in the moment attitude to learning. This may cause judging students and teachers to view them as lazy or irresponsible, but this is not necessarily the case. Perceiving students simply understand that being flexible to a situation can be useful and will often stay longer on an idea before acting on it.

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