Honey and Mumford learning style identifies following four learning styles; Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatics. These learning styles are not exclusive. One individual may be a reflector as well as a theorist, while another person may be an activist and a pragmatist, a reflector and pragmatist or even a theorist and pragmatist (Honey and Mumford, 1996).
Figure
10 Honey and Mumford Learning Style
Source: (Rosewell, 2005)
Activists
Armstrong and Taylor (2014) describe activists as those who embrace new challenges and completely engage in new experiences without bias. Rosewell (2005) claims that activists love collaborating with others on role playing, gaming and problem solving activities and they are capable of leading a group.
However, they learn least when
they are required to read, write and think independently. Besides, listening to
lectures or lengthy explanations, analyzing and evaluating lots of data or
follow detailed instructions are not something activists enjoy doing (Rosewell, 2005).
Tea
plantation companies in the country engage in lot of sustainability
initiatives, keen on environmental conservation and community development
initiatives. Hands on tasks like plucking, pruning, operating machinery etc,
training programs focus on practical demonstrations and on the job learning
experiences are designed to cater to activists learning style.
Reflectors
Reflectors
take a step back and view new experiences from several perspectives. They
gather information, consider and then reach a conclusion (Armstrong and Taylor,
2014). As per Rosewell (2005), reflectors learn
best when given time to think and investigate before commenting or acting.
They perform well when provided an opportunity to reevaluate events and
when jobs are assigned without strict deadlines. But they learn the least when
forced to take charge in a group and act without preparation.
Reflectors
in the tea plantation industry benefit from opportunities to observe and
analyze various aspects of tea cultivation and manufacturing process. They are
involved in tasks such as monitoring plant health, assessing environmental
impacts, evaluating the quality of teas etc. Training programs for reflectors
include structured exercises, case studies and mentorship opportunities to
encourage critical thinking and informed decision making based on thorough
analysis.
Figure
11 Monitoring Plant Health at a Tea Estate
Source:
(Amarathunga, 2019)
Theorists
McPheat
(2024) claims that models, theories and anything that presents an
idea in an orderly fashion are preferred by theorists. These people could
find it difficult to work in situations when the directions or goals are
unclear or when the work is more emotional.
Theorists
are interested in scientific theories in tea cultivation, processing methods
and quality assurance practices. They excel in research, data analysis and
developing strategies to enhance productivity. Training programs focus theoretical
frameworks, technical knowledge and theoretical discussion.
For
instance, Uva Wellassa University offers a degree program on Tea technology and
Value Addition where learners can obtain a complete understanding on the theoretical
aspects of tea cultivation and different manufacturing processes (Uva Wellassa
University, 2022).
Pragmatists
These
individuals are eager to test out new concepts, methods and ideas to discover
if they are effective (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Pragmatists must comprehend
how the knowledge they are gaining relates to real world situations. They look
for real world examples that are closely related to the task they have. Nevertheless,
these learners can find it difficult when goals or instructions are not
clear (McPheat, 2024).
In
the tea plantation industry, training programs for pragmatists emphasize roles
that involve problem solving, process optimization etc. They also involve real scenarios,
hands on training exercises and opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in
practical situations.
Figure
12 Practical Training conducted at a Tea
Estate
Source:
(Amarathunga, 2019)
References
Amarathunga, M.K.S.L.D. (2019)
Blog 100- Public-Private Partnership Extension Model for the Tea
Smallholding Sector in Sri Lanka. [Online] Aesanetwork. Available from: https://www.aesanetwork.org/blog-100-public-private-partnership-extension-model-for-the-tea-smallholding-sector-in-sri-lanka/
[Accessed: 9 April 2024].
Armstrong, M. and Taylor,
S. (2014) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice.
13th edition. London: Kogan Page Limited.
Geoghegan, D. (2020)
Honey and Mumford Learning Styles. [Online Video] Available from: https://youtu.be/-92dIFiN_p8?si=QHXvHlUBhtB-ODwn
[Accessed: 9 April 2024].
Honey, P and Mumford, A (1996) The Manual of Learning
Styles. 3rd edition. Maidenhead: Honey Publications.
McPheat, S. (2024)
The
Honey and Mumford Learning Cycle. [Online] Management
Training and Development Ltd. Available from: https://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/honey-and-mumford-learning-cycle.htm
[Accessed: 9 April 2024].
Rosewell, J. (2005) Learning styles. The Open
University.
Agreed to Kanishka. Moreover, Malaise and Signer (2022) mentioned there are defined learning styles, and each of them prefers to learn during specific stages of the learning cycle ensuring that all parties of these four learner types will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge by making sure they go through all four stages to complete a productive task.
ReplyDeleteAs McPheat (2008) claims, Honey and Mumford Learning Cycle is a valuable tool for understanding various ways that learners absorb information. Trainers may change their approach to ensure that they are providing learners with the assistance they need to succeed in their job and assist the organisation in achieving its goals.
DeleteAbsolutely agreed! Training programs tailored for pragmatists in the tea plantation industry play a crucial role in honing problem-solving skills and optimizing processes. As highlighted by Smith et al. (2020), the emphasis on real scenarios and hands-on exercises provides invaluable opportunities to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application, fostering a more adept and efficient workforce.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Bhatnagar and Sinha (2018) describe that pragmatists are keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. This inquisitive behaviour can benefit the tea industry especially, when introducing innovation via new products and services.
DeleteThe style of learning and the capacity of learning is different. a description of the attitudes and behavior which determine an individual's preferred way of learning(Honey & Mumford, 1992, p. 1)
ReplyDeleteAgreed Hashira. Mohr (2009) concludes that preferences for learning styles vary between countries and are influenced by a variety of cultural norms. Study on learning styles has also been based on gender and a number of academic fields, including nursing, statistics, engineering and tourism.
Delete