Learning Styles and Spiritual Growth
Have you ever tried to explain something new to someone who just was not ready to hear it? It can be a frustrating experience for both parties. Over my years in mission work and ministry, there have been many times when I’ve had a conversation that I felt was either unheard or not understood. I always have to stop and ask myself: “Is there a way that I can make this more effective?
When I’m learning a new skill, I’m the type of person who really needs to try it out herself. One thing I enjoy when working on a hobby is signing up for a hands-on class rather than just watching a demonstration. It’s always helpful to have an explanation of how to do something, but if I’m going to remember the process, I need to go through the steps myself. We often keep our learning styles in mind when it comes to other areas of growth, but it’s just as important to keep them in mind when it comes to spiritual development.
According to the VARK model, the four basic types of learning styles are visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Many other learning styles have also been identified, and it could be useful to review different suggestions to discover new ideas on how to engage with these styles. It’s just as important in a Bible classroom to consider how people learn as it is in a school setting. In order to reach as many as possible, a variety of class options could be provided, with some on the more experiential end of the spectrum. Even within a typical lecture Bible class, it’s a good idea to rotate through different aspects of the material and include discussion.
When it comes to helping people grow spiritually, there is another important layer to consider: while there can be differences between people, there may also be differences between genders. Nicola Slee in Women’s Faith Development says that women show preferences for concrete, visual, and embodied thinking instead of abstract or analytic thought.[1] She calls for a focus on providing experiential opportunities to help women grow spiritually.[2] This could mean finding ways for them to use their spiritual gifts by trying them out in different settings and experiences. This is particularly important for women, but some congregations have struggled to find ways to provide these opportunities. The importance of helping women learn about how God created and gifted them, and then allowing them opportunities to be faithful in using those gifts, is important to their spiritual growth. In a Bible classroom setting, this preference for the experiential may also include cycling through a story in a way that invites imagination and fresh discussion.
Over my years working with college students and even those younger than that, questions about whether or not the Bible can speak to the struggles of today come up on a fairly regular basis. Taking learning styles into consideration also sends the message that the Bible is still relevant to the struggles our younger people are facing. Tapping into the way they learn can make the message come alive and ignite their imaginations. We need to spend time thinking about the process behind our teaching.
Here are a few ideas of ways to look at Scripture differently. First, focus on the characters. Consider that people tend to gravitate towards movies and books focused on other people. Use that same natural curiosity and desire to get to know a Bible character in a new way in your classes. Second, invite people to look at the story from a different angle, perhaps through a particular character’s eyes. What is the person seeing, thinking, and feeling? What impact would being an eyewitness to that particular story make on their lives? Third, use case studies about real life issues, and ask class members to apply what they are learning to it. I have often found that I need to come up with my own case studies. To do so, I pick an everyday or societal problem to discuss, making sure that it’s one that’s complicated enough to have different aspects in need of consideration. Then I ask students to apply what we are learning in class to that case study. When I have used ethical questions, I have occasionally been fortunate enough to find something that has been in the news or in a legal proceeding so I can share the rest of the story.
The people we are teaching may range from being new to Scripture, having healthy and active faiths, or struggling with an overfamiliarity that is keeping them from seeing the message in new ways. However, there are things we can do to meet them where they are and help them grow. Getting into the habit of thinking through different ways people learn can yield encouraging results. Anytime I help someone see Scripture in a new way, that feels like a win. Helping people see that the Bible still speaks is of vital importance to people’s spiritual growth.
1. Nicola Slee, Women’s Faith Development: Patterns and Processes (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2004), 165-167.
2. Slee, Women’s Faith Development, 139-145.
