Group Differences

What?
This week we learned about the education implications of individual differences. Students from diverse cultural backgrounds may have difficulty adjusting to a traditional classroom in our country. We learned what the term intelligence means and how we can promote intelligent behavior in all of our students in the classroom. Intelligence is the ability to modify and adjust one’s behaviors in order to accomplish new tasks successfully. It involves many different mental processes, and its nature may vary, depending on the culture in which one lives. We also discussed how to accommodate the unique needs of students from lower socioeconomic groups and how we can identify students that are at risk for school failure and how we can help these students achieve academic success. In conclusion, the problem of individual differences can be tackled with multi dimensional tasks. The teacher, school authorities, and parents should all work together to meet the individual requirements of the students.

So What?
The notion that individuals differ in various abilities, capacities and cultural backgrounds necessitates the adoption of individual tendencies in education. It compels the teachers to realize that in any group there are individuals, who deviate from the norms of the group. Along with the average, the presence of very superior and extremely dull is equally possible in the classroom. Every teacher should try to have the desired knowledge of the abilities, capacities, interests, attitudes, aptitudes and other personality traits of his pupils and should render individual guidance to children for maximum utilization of their potentialities. It is wrong to expect uniformity in gaining proficiency or success in a particular field from a group of students. On account of their subnormal intelligence, previous background, lack of proper interest, aptitude and attitude some students have to lag behind in some or other area of achievement. All students can not be benefited by one particular method of instruction and a uniform and rigid curriculum.

Now What?
The first step in making provisions for individual differences is frequently assessing the students and their progress in the form of intelligence tests, cumulative record cards, interest inventories, attitude scales, and aptitude tests. Once students are assessed properly, they should be placed in groups based on their ability. Such groups can prove beneficial in adjusting the method of instruction to varying individual differences. To meet the requirement of varying individuals, the curriculum should be as flexible and differentiated as possible. As teachers, we should adjust our curriculum to meet the needs of out students. Schools must also adopt some social programs or methods of teaching to enable students to learn at their own individual pace. Having this knowledge and using these tools will aid us as teachers to educate our students in the best possible way.