TYPES OF LEARNERS

Based on the 4 MAT System by Bernice Mccarthy

Type of learner Prefer to learn Interested in: Favourite Teachers need

by: question: to:
1. Sensing /feeling Personal learning Why Create a reason
Imaginative and watching
learners
2. Watching and The facts What Give them facts
Analytic Learnersthinking through
concepts
3. Thinking through How things work How Let them try it
Common sense concepts and
learners doing it
themselves
4. Doing it Self-discovery What if Let them teach it
Dynamic learners themselves and to themselves
sensing/ feeling and others

TYPES OF LEARNERS IN GEOGRAPHY

The essence of being an effective teacher lies in knowing what to do to foster pupils learning and
being able to do it. Effective teaching is concerned with setting up learning activities for each pupil
which are successful in bringing about the type of learning the teacher intends.

In order for the teacher to teach effectively, he/she should plan well with full knowledge of how
his/her pupils learn geography (learning styles) at the back of his/her mind or the type of learners
he/she has in his or her classes.

The idea of learning styles recognises that people learn in different ways. However, no single
learning style has any overwhelming advantage over any other. They all have their own strengths
and weaknesses. In reality most people do not conform to just one of these learning styles, but learn
in combination of ways. Pupils will often adopt differing styles depending on the subject, place or the
time.

By helping pupils develop ability to operate in each of the different styles of learning they will
become more “effective” or better “all- round” learners with a wide range of learning skills.

DYNAMIC LEARNERS ( ACCOMODATORS) IMAGINATIVE LEARNERS (DIVERGERS)

Independent and creative Imaginative and creative
Likes taking risks and change Flexible, sees lots of alternatives
Enjoys and adapts well to new situations Colourful (uses fantasy)
Curious and investigative Uses insight
Inventive experiments Good at imagining oneself in new/different
situations
Shows initiative Unhurried, casual and friendly
Problem solvers Avoids conflict
Involves other people Listens to others and shares ideas with a small
number of people
Gets others opinions feelings
Can be impulsive “rushes in”
Uses “trial and error” and gut reaction
Relies on support network
COMMON-SENSE LEARNERS (CONVERGERS)
Organised, ordered and structured
Practical, ‘hands on’
Detailed and accurate
Applies ideas to solving problems
Learns by testing out new situations and
assessing the result
Makes theories useful
Uses reasoning to meet goals
Has good detective skills ‘search and solve’.
Likes to be in control of the situation
Acts independently then gets feedback
Uses factual data and theories
Uses all senses to interpret
Listens, observes, asks questions
Sensitive and emotional, deep feelings
Cannot be rushed until ready
ANALYTIC LEARNERS (ASSIMILATORS)
Logical and structured
Intellectual, academic
Enjoys reading and researching
Evaluative, good synthesiser
Thinker and debater
Precise, thorough, careful
Organised, likes to follow a plan
Likes to place experience in a theoretical
context
Looks for pas experiences from which to extract
learning
Reacts slowly and wants facts
Calculates probabilities
Avoids becoming over-emotional
Often analyses experiences by writing them
down