Importance of Individual Differences in Education with Examples
Back to: Childhood and Growing Up – Unit 2
Introduction
Individual differences are the deviations and variations an individual possesses from other individuals. Due to the presence of individual differences, one human being is considered to be different than another human being because due to the presence of these differences, any individual can build a different personality and attitude.
Types of Individual Differences
- Age Differences
- Gender Differences
- Race Differences
- Ethnicity
- Socioeconomic status
- Academic ability
- Attitude towards learning
- Intellectual orientation
- Personality traits
- Motivation
- Family background
- Financial Background
- Relation with Family
- Friendship etc.
Importance and Significance of Individual Differences
To Provide Deep Understanding of Human Behavior
Individual Difference in Education is information that provides a deeper understanding of what each child needs to be successful in school. It refers to any significant difference or variation between a student and his/her peers, which can be a result of a variety of factors.
Comprehension of Individual Needs and Requirement
By understanding these differences, the academic institutions, teachers, parents, and family members can understand the requirement and needs of the individual. Similarly, the teacher can get to know about the need of the children as per the individual differences.
For the Calculation of an Individual’s Profile
The information about individual differences is collected through a series of standardized tests and observations which are used to classify the child’s profile based on a model that has been developed by the teachers and the students themselves. The information gathered from the tests and observations are then fed into the computer which calculates the profile for the child.
Provides a platform for the Improvement
Due to the knowledge of individual differences, the performance and academic improvement can be measured and assessed which can provide information about the areas which need more improvement for further reference.
Knowledge and Respect for Diversity
With the Knowledge of individual differences, an individual can get to know about diverse human behavior, diversity, religions, ethics, ideals, points of view, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that the understanding of individual differences can have significance for individuals, parents, teachers, academic institutions, and organizations.
