                                           Editor:
                                           John Gever

                                           Contact:
                                           Beverly Crider
AUGUST 4, 1993

PERSONALITY INFLUENCES
HOW CHILDREN LEARN

                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         BIRMINGHAM, Ala...All of the pupils in her first-grade class
agree Mrs. Jones is a good teacher -- all except Johnny on the
second row.
         Johnny is an introvert and his extroverted teacher can't
understand why schoolwork seems more difficult for him than for
other children in the class. It may not be the material that is
difficult for Johnny to understand, but rather Mrs. Jones' style
of teaching, according to UAB's (University of Alabama at
Birmingham) Virginia Gauld, who holds a doctoral degree in higher
education.
         "In teaching, we assume other people learn like we do," she
says. "If people don't conform to our expectations, then we think
they should change rather than accommodate their style of
learning."
         Introverted children think internally, according to Gauld,
who is vice president for student affairs at UAB. Therefore, they
generally are slower to respond if a teacher asks for a response
from the class.
         "Extroverted children raise their hands and start answering
the question before they're even sure they've thought it
through," she says. "They're thinking out loud. Introverted
children will stop, think about the question and then, once they
know they have the answer, they will raise their hands."
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         While extroverted children are talkative and enjoy working in
groups, introverted children are more comfortable working alone or
with one other child, Gauld says. Frequently, though, teachers
place children in groups of eight or 10, causing an introverted
child to become emotionally tired.
         Introverted children also do not perform as well as
extroverts on timed tests, she says. If the test is multiple
choice, introverts will think through each component of the set,
taking much longer than extroverts because they process internally
and in detail.
         "Some people like to make decisions," Gauls says. "They will
jump from gathering data to making a decision very rapidly. Other
people love to gather new thoughts and dislike making a decision
because, frankly, it's boring. The fun of life for these people is
thinking of a new way or having another creative thought.
         "Students who like to gather information and make decisions
about that information are going to be rewarded by teachers who
like schedules and making decisions and who do not like gathering
a lot of new ideas."
         Teachers in higher education tend to be either sensing-
judging types or intuitive-judging types, Gauld says. In this
context, judging does not refer to a judgmental attitude, but to a
method of dealing with the outer world. Sensing-judging types are
very detail-oriented. They use their senses to gather information
and they use past information to check reality. They are not prone
toward change, while intuitives like change.
         Elementary school teachers, however, usually are sensing-
feeling-judging people, she says. They tend to be friendly,
tactful and sympathetic.
         Since all teachers tend to be judging types who live
according to plans, they may have difficulty relating to a
sensing-perceiving child.
         "SP children want it now and want it fast," Gauld says.
"They're action-oriented. They don't conceptualize thoughts in an
analytical way and they aren't comfortable thinking about symbols.
For some, reading is difficult because reading is taught
symbolically.
         "These children are forced into routine and into reading very
early. And if they don't perform, we think they're problem
children. We try to make them sit still and we try to force them
to change."
         These children might learn more easily if they are allowed to
work with objects rather than books. Gauld suggests reversing the
process most teachers use when they teach reading.
         "An adult illustration of this idea involves work on a car
engine," Gauld says. "There are people who will take the shop
manual, go through it, figure out all of the parts and then they
will repair the engine. They will use the information in the book
first. Then, there are other people who will look at the engine,
analyze it, quickly see what fits together, take it apart and try
to repair it. Then they will go to the book to see if they did it
right."
         Personality type seems to be both genetically and
environmentally induced, Gauld says. However, as children mature,
they begin using more frequently the mental process they most
enjoy.
         Basically, she says, introverted children like quiet for
concentration; extroverted children like variety and action.
Thinking types like analysis and order; feeling types need praise
and support. Sensing types dislike new problems unless there are
standard ways to solve them; intuitive types like solving new
problems. Judging types need structure and a sense of closure;
perceptive types adapt well to changing situations and enjoy
spontaneity.
         Gauld suggests that teachers who would like more information
about personality's influence on learning styles read "People
Types & Tiger Stripes: A Practical Guide to Learning Styles" by
Gordon Lawrence, "Gifts Differing" by Isabel Briggs Myers or
"Please Understand Me" by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates.
                                    -30-

 
NOTE TO EDITORS:  The following information is provided as
reference material for the accompanying feature about personality
types and learning styles.

                            SIDEBAR INFORMATION

         To identify the learning styles of their students, UAB's
Virginia Gauld suggests teachers refer to the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator, created by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Briggs.
Based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types, the indicator
reveals the way people perceive elements of their environment and
the way they judge what has been perceived. 
         According to the MBTI, personality is structured by four
preferences concerning the use of perception and judgement:

Extroversion (E)    Direction of interest toward the outer world
                    of people and things (70 percent of the
                    general population is in this category) or
Introversion (I)    Direction of interest toward the inner world
                    of concepts and ideas (30 percent);

Sensing (S)         Use of the five senses to become aware of
                    surroundings (70 percent) or
Intuition (N)       Indirect perception of surroundings by way of
                    the unconscious (30 percent);

Thinking (T)        A logical process aimed at an impersonal
                    finding (40 percent of females and 60 percent
                    of males) or
Feeling (F)         Bestowing on things a personal, subjective
                    value (60 percent of females and 40 percent
                    of males);

Judging (J)         Dealing with the outer world by planning
                    ahead (55 percent) or
Perceiving (P)      Remaining flexible when dealing with the
                    outer world (45 percent).

     As children gain control over their mental processes, they
will use more frequently their preferred processes and neglect
those they enjoy less. Therefore, 16 personality types may result
from various combinations of these preferences, although each
person differs in how much he or she uses each of the processes.
                                   -30-

