Many of the pioneering studies for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^® (MBTI^®) instrument were done with high school and college students. These original studies plus the ongoing data collected by colleges and universities in the United States have resulted in a wealth of information about how personality affects learning and teaching styles.

When teachers and students understand the differences in their teaching and learning styles, communication, and therefore learning, is enhanced. A student's interests and ways of learning directly affect how he or she takes in information. This calls on educators to consider different teaching approaches, based on the needs of students.

Students whose preferences are different from those of a teacher may find it difficult to adjust to the classroom atmosphere and the teaching methods of that teacher. Teachers who vary their teaching styles after learning about personality type often find they can motivate and teach a wider range of students, because they are developing diverse approaches that better meet the needs of all students.

When students and teachers disagree, type knowledge can help both to recognize the validity of the other person's approach and needs. Instead of labeling the student as "misbehaving" or the teacher as "unreasonable," differences are better understood and respected.

Parents also have preferences and when these differ from the preferences of the teacher, misunderstanding can ensue. For example, a student's preference for Extraversion can appear as positive attitude and social adjustment to a parent, while appearing as disruptive and unproductive to a teacher with a different preference.

A teacher who understands personality type can give feedback to parents in ways that respect the child's preferences. And parents who understand type can appreciate that a teacher's point of view may only reflect his or her own preferences, not a rejection of their child.

When the common language of psychological type is understood, lesson plans can be tailored to meet the needs of all students. Teachers who know type can then approach the same lesson in multiple ways, appealing to the preferences of all their students.

Education and learning are often closely linked to writing and creativity. A number of books and articles exist on these subjects through Mary and Isabel's Library Online MILO.

Resources

The Chemistry of Personality by Elizabeth Murphy (CAPT 2008)

Differentiated Coaching by Jane Kise (Corwin Press 2006)

Differentiation through Personality Type by Jane Kise (Corwin Press 2007)

Discovering Type with Teens by Mollie Allen, Claire Haymen, and Kay Abella (CAPT 2010)

Exploring Personality Type: Creating a Personal Path for Success by Elizabeth Murphy (CAPT 2008)

Exploring Personality Type: Discovering My Best and Your Best by Elizabeth Murphy (CAPT 2008)

Exploring Personality Type: Discovering My Strengths and Stretches by Elizabeth Murphy (CAPT 2008)

Great Minds Don't Think Alike By Diane Payne and Sondra VanSant (CAPT 2009)

Introduction to Type^® and Learning by Donna Dunning (The Myers-Briggs Company, Inc. 2008)

Introduction to Type^® in College by John K. DiTiberio and Allen L. Hammer (The Myers-Briggs Company 1993)

Looking at Type and Learning Styles by Gordon D. Lawrence (CAPT 1997)

MMTIC^® Manual by Elizabeth Murphy and Charles Meisgeier (CAPT 2008)

Most Excellent Differences edited by Thomas C. Thompson(CAPT 1996)

People Types and Tiger Stripes by Gordon Lawrence (CAPT 2009)

Portraits of Self-Esteem by Bonnie J. Golden (CAPT 2001)

Procrastination by Judith A. Provost (CAPT 1998)

Strategies for Success by Judith A. Provost (CAPT 1992)

Type Tales by Diane Farris (CAPT 2000)

Using the MBTI^® Instrument in Colleges and Universities by Judith A. Provost and Scott Anchors (CAPT 2003)

Verifying Type with Students by Elizabeth Murphy (CAPT 2008)

Write from the Start by Ann B. Loomis (CAPT 1999)