Individual Differences

Before 2000 years, Plato stated, "No two persons are born exactly alike; but each differs from the other in natural endowments, one being suited for one occupation and the other for another." People vary in a range of different attributes. This change is seen in physical forms, the difference in intelligence, learning habits, etc. For teachers and parents, having a fair knowledge about individual differences is essential in upbringing their students or kids.

There are many factors cause individual differences. Here are only three factors: heretical traits, environment, and sex.

• First, the most obvious cause is heretical traits. Heretical traits include height, size, shapes, and colors. In learning, intellectual differences may also come from heredity.
• Next one is the environment. The environment brings individual differences. Environment refers to types of people, society, their culture, customs, traditions, social heritage, ideas, and ideals.
• The third factor is sex. Females are better when it comes to learning a language. Males show excellence in logical processes. Females are more interested in people while males are more interested in things. Finally, males have stronger muscles and bigger body than females.

Teachers and parents need to know these differences not to weigh up their students or children but to understand that they have strong and weak aspects. They reinforce strengths and minimize the effect of their weakness. Teachers should vary their teaching aids, techniques, and methods of teaching to meet these individual difference demands. To do this, teachers and parents need to inspect and observe their students and children to figure out their diversities. In the same way, any curriculum has to consider individual differences in interest, abilities and all other dissimilarities.

Considering individual differences helps achieving learning goals for all different students more efficiently. Therefore, it helps reducing learning loss and increase students or children confidence in learning new information and acquiring new skills.