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THE INFLUENCE OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND A COGNITIVE COMPONENT OF A STUDENT'S THINKING STYLE ON HIS/HER SUCCESS IN LIFELONG LEARNING
A. Tatarinceva
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. It enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development, self-sustainability. (Commission of the European Communities, 2006).
Thinking (learning) style is defined as the conditions under which each person begins to concentrate, absorb, process, and retain new or difficult information and skills (Spark, DeBello, Brennan&Murrain, 1981). The author supports the point of view of Stubbs (1999), who claims thinking style is the preference in the use of abilities. Spark (1981) believes, thinking style is the cognitive, affective and physiological trait that is relatively stable indicator of how students perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment. Swain (1990) claims, thinking style is the identifiable individual approach to learning situations. McCarthy(1984) points out thinking styles are the generalized differences in the learning process as measured by a Self-Report Test, called the Learning Style Inventory. White (2008), believes that thinking style is the characteristic manner in which an individual chooses to approach to a learning task. It is proved by psychologists that the perception element (how people absorb new information) and the cognitive element of thinking styles (how individuals process gained information) are biologically imposed and these elements are developed out during the individual life learning and experiences. The mode of how people process the difficult and new information is called the cognitive component of the individual’s thinking style ( Stubbs, 1999, Restak &Thies, 1999). Thinking style is a rather stable characteristic of a student, as according to Spearman (1999), Dunn(1989), strong learning preferences are changed only over years as a result of high willingness, motivation and strong personal effort.
Understanding individual differences is an important and useful tool, served lecturers in four ways: (1) lecturers have a method to teach that is diverse and adaptive enough to meet various learning needs of students who are not necessarily oriented towards learning; (2) lecturers can show students they care about the individuality and integrity of each learner; (3) lecturers can better understand their own teaching style, its strengths and weaknesses (White, 2008). Different criteria exist for the examination of students' approaches to learning: Personal Response, Theoretical Background, Complexity of Information, Ability to Implement, Multiple Uses (Pica, 2006). Thinking about the process of knowing “ metacognition” refers to higher order thinking involved active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning (Livingsone, 2007). One of the most used instruments of cognitive thinking types’ identification is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, developed by I. Myers (1962), based on the theories of Carl Jung (1921). Jung made a major contribution to the ability to understand Self by dividing human
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behavior into two basic categories: perception, and judgement (Jung, 1921). Jung's Theory proves that humans constantly choose between the open act of perceiving or finding out, discovering, and the closed act of judging, or taking action, deciding, evaluating. The author supports the point of view of Jung that persons who prefer to get energy in an extroverted way will extravert their dominant function and introvert all the other functions, those ones who prefer to get energy in an introverted way will introvert their dominant function and extravert all the rest. According to McCaulley's Psychological Type Theory( McCauley, 1988), as further defined by Myers (1962), may be described Psychological Types’ Preferences and Appropriate Learning Strategies.
Pica (1996), believes the extraverted learner in the process of life-long learning prefers an outward focusing of energy, extraversion makes a person seek influences as a source of energy, pleasure, and satisfaction outside, it makes a person enjoy open, active interactions, become absorbed in activities, have a high tolerance for crowds, noise, public appearances. The author believes humans choose extroversion or introversion very early, in infanthood. Extroverts feel more confident when they have a sense of a genuine interest in their task. They like to use aids - overheads, demonstration utensils-while they are giving their presentations at lectures, they need time to prepare: rehearsal time. Extroverts, to the author’s mind, learn to do an extroverted task in a way most conductive to their own needs. Extroverts prefer silent reading, wonder if they could use alternative methods of study. Extroverts learn by trials and errors. They usually haven’t persistence to finish a learning task, they begin to do another task, or some tasks simultaneously, without finishing the first task.
Introversion is an inward focusing of energy, it makes a student look for sources of energy, satisfaction, safety inward. The introverts enjoy intense, focused relationships, events. Cautious, considerate, thoughtful, the introvert prefers a well-ordered lecture-room in which students work quietly on one task at a time. They always finish their learning tasks. The author analyzing the link between introversion and thinking style could conclude: First, introverted students need to think everything through, inside their heads, before they risk responding in front of others, they are often the quiet, thoughtful learners. They prefer to volunteer answer questions rather than to be asked a question directly. Second, introverted students are private beings. Their deep sense of privacy extends to the certain learning environment. They need a sense of place and a feeling of ownership over that space. They prefer quiet, uninterrupted work where concentrated energy focuses on one thing at a time. Introverted students are self-motivated. They deeply resent anyone “looking their shoulder” as they learn. If such students want ways to follow instructions should be clear, have the opportunity to explore ideas without supervision. If they need help, they prefer to watch an expert, read a resource, or watch video. The introverts are reflective learners. To the author’s mind, it is very useful to use questioning methods allowed introverts time to reflect and rehearse before answering. Introverts always work with a peer whom they trust. Very highly achieving and gifted introverts prefer working alone or with equally developed peers (Schmidt, 1990, McCarthy, 1985, Spark, 1992, White 1998).
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The next is a sensing learner. Sensation is the perceiving function that seeks immediately relevant, accessible experience through the senses. It causes a person to pay careful attention to each detail in his immediate environment in a practical, focused way. Sensation causes a person to enjoy traditional surroundings, to deal with the world in a realistic, down-to-earth manner. The author analyzing the connections between the preference for sensation and a student's thinking style concludes the following: firstly, sensing students move cautiously into new learning, prefer a set procedure, usually learn one step at a time. They like to stick to skills and knowledge they already possessed and learn best by building on those in a developmental learning mode. Secondly, sensing students dislike abstract theory, tend to skip over theory when it is presented to them. Theory should be presented in small pieces, as it relates to the immediate learning task, only when absolutely necessary. Sensing students' types need to see a practical reason for learning. Third, sensing students absorb information through all senses. They want to see, hear, touch as they learn. These students learn something new very quickly when they can look over a step-by-step procedure, see it performed, then try it by themselves.
The author would like to analyze the next type of cognitive behavior - an intuitive learner. Intuition is the perceiving function that makes sense of the world by creating patterns, inventing hypotheses. Intuition causes a person to scan situations, data in order to see relationships among things in a self-inspiring and inventive way. Students of this type like to go through the learning experience with changes and adventures.
A thinking learner is the next type the author wants to analyze. Thinking is the judgement function that values objectives, analytical ways to make decisions, evaluate situations. Thinking causes a person to stand back, think logically, rationally, critically honestly. Thinking makes a person value a fair world that runs on logical principles. They like to win, always are confident.
The author would like to analyze a feeling learner. Feeling is a judging function that values a subjective analysis and empathetic understanding as a means of decision making and evaluation. Feeling causes a person to seek a personal relationship with the environment, relying on a deep sense of personal values to guide behavior, judge behavior of others. Feeling causes a person to orient self towards relationships, relate with others in an attempt to create harmony in the world around this person. Feeling students prefer the respectful style of teaching. Learning peaks for them are when values are motivating factors. Feeling students learn best from an instructor whom they like as a person.
The author analyzing the next cognitive type of learning behaviour- a judging learner- concludes the following: Judgement according to the Jungian theory (Jung, 1921) is the preference to create order by dealing with the world and decisively acting. Judgement is inclined to use more energies in controlling rather than in understanding events. Judging causes a person to create an ordered world in which things can happen on time according to a predetermined purpose. Judging students like to plan, schedule and need exact dates
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in learning progress. They want to see, in advance, a definite structure of learning tasks. Judging students want to complete each task started. They crave a sense of closure. A lecturer has to predict the judging students where, when, why things may change. The knowledge what might happen allows the judging type to relax, feel safe and go along with potential changes.
The last cognitive type of a student the author would like to analyze is a perceiving learner. According to Jungian theory (Jung, 1921), perception is the preference to deal with the world by following one’s curiosity and seeking understanding. A person is inclined to put off decision making until it is a chance to investigate all kinds of information. The perceiver may start more tasks than he finishes. The perceiver may drop something that no longer seems interesting for him. This person, curious and adaptive, enjoys a flexible, pleasurable learning and lifestyle. The perceiving type causes a person to resist a structure and to favour changing circumstances in the quest for spontaneity and surprise. The perceiving student enjoys the process of discovering new ideas, but without a lot of pressure. Perceiving students need degrees of freedom and appreciate any form of flexibility and spontaneity a lecturer can provide. Perceiving students are quite relaxed and opened to a variety of styles and ideas, they find pleasure in the most situations, provided the structure is not so rigid that they feel all chances for fun have been destroyed. A lecturer should provide a plenty of opportunities for perceiving students to discover and explore, to work with new ideas. Perceiving students respond well to alternatives allowed them to appraise their own work.
Individuals are unique and they are central in the educational process. Teaching strategies/techniques must be tailored to accommodate these individual differences. According to a lot of research if learning is successful it involves positive changes in attitudes to learning, to higher school, increases significantly the academic success in learning. When lecturers pay attention to individual differences, thinking styles, cognitive and psychological types of students, all sides benefit. There is also another aspect to the way learning is influenced by cognitive types differences. The discussion of thinking style is an important part of this aspect. Also student learning is affected by the degree to which a student is interested in and attracted by a subject. Cognitive types’ preferences are related to the interest in different content areas as well as to the way the content is taught. When considering the importance of the match or mismatch, it is useful to remember that certain subjects will turn on some students' types and turn off others. Because students’ success is also deeply influenced by application (persistence in fixing attention and assiduity in performing what is required), Myers (1962) considered the application to be an important factor to keep in mind when considering the importance of individual preferences. The author supports the point of view of DeBello (1988), that most students are capable of analyzing their own thinking style, what gives them a chance of choice and responsibility for their own learning. The choice is important in lifelong and lifewide learning. It is the springboard to the wise decision making. At consultations with students lecturers should identify the need for accommodating students who require the low structure by stressing the importance of efficient lecture-room techniques such as creative
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writing, open discussion, independent study, which allow for the pursuit of learning objectives through a variety of modalities, open - ended home-works with individual projects. If a lecturer's approach is compatible with a student's thinking style preferences, the goals of teaching and learning will be achieved. The more we know our students, their thinking styles in common, the psychological and cognitive components in particular, goals and needs, the more students will be successful in their life-long and life-wide learning.
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