FACTORS THAT AFFECT (INFLUENCE) INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND THEIR

IMPLICATIONS TO THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

By Quarmson Jonathan

The two main factors that affect (influence) individual differences are the inherited traits and the acquired traits.

INHERITED TRAITS

They are traits that bring a change from one individual to another. It involves the physical development, mental

development and temperament. An individual’s height, size, shape and color of hair, shape of face, nose, hands and

legs so to say the entire structure of the body is determined by his heretical qualities.

Physical Development

The main stages involved in physical development include;

1. pre-natal stage: This involve the ages of 3 to 9 months. This is where the male and female sperm unit. At this stage,

the child develops his/her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and limbs. Also, conception, heart beating, movement of body and

limbs discernible, and response to stimulation also begin at this stage.

2. birth stage: At this stage, the child possesses all the physical characteristics of a human. Again, this is where the

child survives the physical strains of birth.

3. infancy stage: This involves the ages of 3 months to 2 years. This is where the child increases in height and size to

about three times birth weight. A normal child is able to walk and even run at this stage

4. childhood stage: This involve the ages of 2 to 12 year. Continued steady increases in size and also growing of

muscular strength and appearance of second occur at this stage. At this stage, the child is able to read and write

5. adolescence stage: The age here is 12-16 years. Sex organs develop, and body proportion begins to approach those

of the adult at this stage. This is where muscular co-ordination improves

6. youth stage: This involve 16 to 21 years. This is where the individual height growth ceases and the child becomes

increasingly adult in appearance. All kinds of skills like games and athletics are now within the range of the

individual. `

Mental Development

Just as there are stages in physical development of the child, so as his/her mental development also follows a similar

pattern of periods. It includes the following

1. pre-natal stage (3-9 months): The child’s brain begins to grow, and the nervous system exists in simplified form.

Reflex actions such as grasping and withdrawal occur at this stage.

2. birth: The child possesses no knowledge and also all its sense organs is capable of responding to stimuli

3. Childhood (3 months to 2 years): At this stage, the child continues to grow and also becomes responsive. The child

also improved control over motor activities.

4. Infancy (2 to 12 years): This is where the child’s brain is almost grown but he thinks in concrete terms and begins

to reason.

5. Adolescence (12 to 16 years): The child increase to think in abstract terms

6. Youth (16 to 21 years): The child develops mature attitudes and behavior.

Temperament

temperament is defined as a phenomenon that refers to basic, relatively stable personality traits that are present since

early childhood, occur in people, and have their counterpart in animals. Being primarily determined by inborn

neurobiochemical mechanisms, temperament is subject to slow changes caused by maturation and individual-specific

genotype

THE ACQUIRED TRAITS

These are traits acquired after the child is born from the environment. Some of the acquired traits include the

following, emotional development, social development, cultural development and educational development.
Emotional Development

Everyone has emotional equipment for expressing such things as anger, anxiety, desire, fear, hate and love. These

follow a pattern of maturation whereby control over them develops naturally and they come under the co-ordination

influence of the brain, but they have certain needs which must be satisfied if balance development is to take place.

The principal needs of normal emotional development include, an assurance of being loved, a sense of security and

an opportunity to make good personal relationships. These needs are normally supplied within the family in which

the child grows up.

Social Development

Nationalism, racialism, class consciousness and delinquency are all acknowledgements of the effect of social

environment on behavior and development of personality. These are the result of social environment but not

inherited.

Social development is the story of the learning of attitude and the formation of habits of response. Our first

social response is to our parents and the other members of our family, then through our wider circle of friends and

relatives to the people of our community, our religion, our nation and continent. The outcome of how we feel towards

other is how we have been taught to feel by direct or indirect means.

IMPLICATION OF THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT INDIVIDUAL DEFFERENCES TO THE

CLASSROOM TEACHER

iii. The teacher has to adopt different types of methods of teaching considering individual difference related to

interest, need, and others.

iv. Some co-curricular activities such as Drama, music, literary activities like essay and debate competition should be

assigned to children according to their interest.

v. The teacher has to uses certain specific teaching aids which will attract the children towards teaching considering

their interest and need.

vi. Various methods such as playing method, project method, Montessori method, storytelling methods are to be used

considering/discovering how different children respond to a task or a problem by the classroom teacher.

vii. The division of pupils into classes should not be based only on the mental age or chronological age of children

but the physical, social and emotional maturity should be given due consideration by the classroom teacher.

REFERENCE

Farrant, J. S. (1980). Principles and Practice of Education. Longman Group Ltd., London.

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