Individual Differences

For a teacher, certain concepts of educational psychology should be ingrained more strongly than others. One such vital concept is Individual differences among the students in the class. It is a fact that no students are alike and practically call for individual attention from the teacher in the classroom. This article tries to briefly understand this topic.

Individual Differences:

·        As the name suggests, it is the difference in the individuality of  the children in a class.

·        The differences can be physical, intellectual, motor, moral, social and emotional nature.

·        While one student can be tall, dark and thin, the other can be short, fair and fat with respect to the body.

·        Also, students can have varying levels of intelligence, creativity, aptitude and memory.

·        They can also differ in the reaction times, swiftness in the movements of the limbs etc.

·        Some students can be extroverts and others can prefer to maintain distance from the groups.

·        A certain number of students openly display their emotions and other can repress or bottle their feelings within themselves.

·        As these aspects of the personality of the students directly influence the extent and effectiveness of their learning experiences.

·        There are two primary  causes for individual differences, namely, the heredity and the environment.

·        Heredity forms the natural endowments a child receives from his or her parents.

·        Environment profoundly influences the behavior of the child by stimulating the him or her from womb to tomb.

 Conclusion: Awareness  of  this vital reality can help the teacher to frame the instructional objectives, deliver the instructions and evaluate the students in a class in right perspective.