The ESFJ Education Experience

ESFJ Learning Style

In most schools, students are lined up in rows, told to be silent and listen and take notes. The ESFJ will have trouble in this type of environment. Their dominant function, extroverted feeling, is focused on other people, on forging and strengthening connections, and this is the way they learn as well. They need to discuss things with others and see how it relates to the external world and how it can improve their interactions with others to be really interested in the information. This makes them social and verbal learners, who may struggle if they’re not given that opportunity to interact with others and any new information they’re given.

ESFJs use introverted sensing ¹ as their secondary function. This is how they take in new information, and it’s concerned with tradition, facts and already established norms. This function likes information that’s practical, based on tradition, and will help them live more in alignment with already established standards. This tendency often makes them dedicated, if slightly unimaginative students. Introverted sensing is also strongly linked to memory, and people who use this function can store an amazing amount of information. If this function is activated during classes, which usually occurs when the individual’s emotions and social senses are involved, it can be a great benefit to ESFJ students.

ESFJ Learning Challenges

The ESFJ leads with extroverted feeling. This is a decision making function, which means that it’s focused on making decisions based on information it gathers from the external world. Sometimes unfortunately for the ESFJ as a student, it’s focused on other people. What makes others happy? What makes the environment harmonious? These are the types of questions that interest this personality type. And studying abstract ideas that have no relation to these questions will often bore the ESFJ, so they will sometimes have trouble during their school years with this element of learning.

The ESFJ may be verbal learners who are focused on the social aspects of school, but this doesn’t mean they’ll be bad at other school subjects. As long as they can see a practical, concrete use for information, and it’s taught in a logical order, ESFJs are fully capable of understanding and even excelling at most subjects. This is due to their secondary function, which thrives on doing what’s ‘right’, respecting the past, and being loyal to those in authority over them. This means that as long as the ESFJ see their teacher as a worthy leader, they’ll probably respect them enough to work really hard in their lessons and do well.

Another issue that may negatively affect the ESFJs ability to learn is their sensitivity to environment. The ESFJ is in naturally in tune with the social environment, and if the relationships or interactions in a classroom are uncomfortable, restrictive or unhappy, it will affect their ability to learn. This also applies to classrooms that are cluttered or unpleasant in terms of their five senses.

The ESFJ in High School

In high school, the ESFJ are the cheerleaders. They’re on the football team. No matter what sort of social interaction they prefer, they’re at the center of it and essential to the mood of the experience. This is because ESFJs use extroverted feeling as their dominant function. This is the way they see the world, through the lens of other people and social ties, and it makes them a natural chameleon, able to adapt and fit in to any situation. Extroverted feeling also gives them the powerful ability to actively guide the mood of a group and encourage cooperation in others. This makes them natural leaders in high school, when this function is developing to its fullest, and will usually make them very popular and happy in this environment.

The ESFJ personality type has a natural respect for tradition and hierarchy which will serve them well in school. As long as their teachers fulfil their unconscious ideas of what a teacher will be like, the ESFJ will probably show a clarity of thinking and understanding that will help them sail through their classes. They do have a preference for concrete ideas however, and don’t appreciate theoretical speculations or classes. Everything must have a practical use, and if some element of socialization is a regular part of their lessons, such as group work, they’ll remain engaged and happy learners.

Higher Education and the ESFJ

Once in college, ESFJs will continue to develop their social skills, which will make them extremely popular college students. They’ll be natural leaders, with a playful and explorative nature that’s encouraged by their tertiary function of extroverted intuition ², which likes to explore the external world. For this personality type, college will be the ideal environment to learn, interact and develop their people skills as well as the skills they want for their chosen career path.

The ESFJ’s natural learning tendencies as verbal, interactive learners will serve them well in a college setting as well. There’s more freedom in the teaching styles in college, and students are encouraged to verbally and even physically interact with the ideas. This suits this personality type, and will probably result in them being very successful in their studies once they adjust to the new expectations.

One problem this type may have in college is the nature of the material they will need to learn and even the teaching style. College professors are typically intuitive types, and part of college learning is questioning, where the teachers encourage students to develop their own ideas and opinions. This means that the teaching style and even the material may be difficult for ESFJs, who prefer tradition and already established ideas.

Final Thoughts

The ESFJ is a fascinating personality type, full of contradictions and unexpected complexities. They’re also one of the most common personality types, which means that the world and its institutions were partially created by and for this type. That’s why many ESFJs flourish in most environments, including academics at all levels. And even if the ESFJ isn’t particularly academically minded, their unique ability to fit in no matter what situation they find themselves in will make their chosen path that much smoother.

References

1. Dr. Drenth, A. J. “Introverted Sensing / Sensation (Si)“. (Retrieved Jan 2018).
2. “MBTI ESFJ Learning Style“. (Retrieved Jan 2018).
3. “How Each Myers-Briggs Type Uses Their Tertiary Function“. (Retrieved Jan 2018).
4. “ESFJ – The Caregiver“.

Footnotes

1. This function is rather mysterious to people who don’t use it. It can result in rigid behaviors because users can be constrained by their own ideas of what is right, backed up by memories of previous experiences. What is important to note is that the function is often out of conscious control, even in those who have this function as a strength.
2. Most sources claim that the tertiary function starts to develop around the age of twenty-thirty years old. This particular function explores and makes connections about the external world, often giving users great insight into patterns and hidden meanings.