UNIT-VI

Uniqueness of the individual

 Uniqueness of the individual

• Areas of individual differences-role of heredity and environment.

• Intelligence: concept-definitions- theories of intelligence- Spearman,
Guilford-Theory of multiple intelligence-Theory of Emotional
intelligence.
• Creativity- meaning and nature- identification of creative learner-
process of creativity- teacher’s role in fostering creativity.
• Interest, attitude and aptitude- basic concepts, definitions and
measurement.
• Understanding exceptional learners- categories, identification,
characteristics, educational provisions.
Learning disability (LD)- Dyslexia- Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, ADHD.
• Educational provisions for learner diversities.
Areas of individual differences-role of heredity and environment.

• Individual Differences
• Individual difference is the dissimilarity between people that distinguish from one
another- Osborne.
• Any measurable aspect of total personality that makes an individual distinct and
unique can be called as individual difference.
• Educational Significance of Individual Difference

• Some important implication of individual difference in education is;

1. Interest of students may different. So individual method of instruction may be adopted.

2. As every student has his peculiar differences individual attention should be paid by the teacher in
the classroom.

3. As the individuals differ in their interest and abilities several subjects of study should be provided in
the school. So that students may have wide choice in selection.

4. Teacher should not expect all the students to make progress in studies at equal pace. Students
therefore, should be allowed to progress at their own rate.

5. Individualized curriculum method of teaching evaluation techniques etc. should be adopted.

6. Educational and vocational guidance to the pupils individually is also needed to improve their
abilities, needs, interests, aptitudes etc.
• . Areas of Individual Differences

1. Differences in physical traits:

• Individual differences in height, weight, color, shape of mouth, color of hair, etc.

• 2. Mental differences

• Intellectually people are different, different in creativity, memory power, imagination, etc.

• 3. Difference in Motor Abilities

• Motor abilities connected with physical, muscular activity, muscular coordination, etc.

• 4. Difference in Interest

• Interest

• It is an innate force which us to attend something. Subject field upon something. It can’t be
accelerate through training.
• 5. Differences in Aptitude

• It is an innate force which us to attend something. Subject field upon

something. It can’t be accelerate through training. .

• 6. Differences in Attitude

• It is a tendency of an individual to react in a pre-determined

manner towards persons, objects, ideas or event.

• 7. Differences in Emotional Traits

• Interest

• It is an innate force which us to attend something. Subject field upon something. It can’t be
accelerate through training.

• Characteristics of Interest

1) Interest is related to the needs and motives of the individual.

2) The pattern of interest undergoes a wast change with age.

3) Instinctive needs often direct and control.

4) It evokes attention.

5) It is not permanent.

6) It may change completely in the course of development.

7) It cannot be improved with training.

8) It is directly related to the emotions, sentiments and desires.

• Aptitude can be call as capacity plus interest. The word aptitude derived from the
Latin word ‘Aptos’ means ‘fitted for’.

• It is the innate capacity or ability of an individual in a given field of action.

• Characteristics of Aptitude

1. It is an integrative part of our personality.

2. It is a present condition but with a forward reference.

3. It is a condition for both heredity and environment.

4. It is the prediction about the individual’s future performance.

5. Individual differences can be seen in aptitude.

Difference between interest and
Aptitude
Interest Aptitude
• Interest is the ability of a person • Aptitude is interest plus capacity.
to attend on something.
• Interest may be either intrinsic • Aptitude is always intrinsic in
or extrinsic in nature. nature.
• It can not be improved with
training. • It can be improved with training.
• Interest are mostly acquired. • Aptitude is mostly innate.
• Pattern of interest undergoes • It does not undergoes vast
vast changes with age. changes with age.
The concept of Intelligence:
The term originated from Latin word ‘Intelligere’ meaning ‘to
understand’.
• IQ= MA/CA X100.

WAIS-Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence

Scale
The Wechsler Preschool and Primary
Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI)
Definition of Intelligence:

• 1. Intelligence is the ability to learn

• Calvin

• “Intelligence is the ability to learn”.

• Thurston

• Thurston defines intelligence in terms of seven primary abilities such as

memory, number, perceptual, reasoning, special, verbal and word fluency.
• 2. Ability to abstract reasoning
• Garret

• He was in the field of mathematics

• “ The abilities demanded in the solution of problem which require comprehension and use of symbols”. i.e.,
words, numbers, diagrams, equations and formulae”.

• J.M. Hunt

• According J.M. Hunt, intelligence is the technique that a child acquires for processing information
supplied by his senses.

• David Wechsler (1950s)

• Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully to think
rationally and to deal effectively with the environment.
 Nature of Intelligence
• 1. Intelligence and individual differences
• Wide individual differences exist with regard to intelligence.
• No two individuals even identical twins or individual in identical environment, have equal mental
capacity.
• 2. Intelligence and Change in Age
• Intelligence increase as the child grows.
• The age at which mental development varies from individual to individuals.
• 3. Intelligence and Sexes
• No significant difference in intelligence has been found among men and women.
• The sex differs in specific abilities.
• Females are superior in verbal abilities, arts, crafts, reasoning etc.
• Males on the other hand superior in special, numerical and mechanical performance.
• 4. Intelligence and Socio-Economic Class
• Intelligence differences between socio-economic classes are well documented.
• Higher IQ is found in families from the upper socio economic level than in those
from the lower levels.
• 5. Intelligence and Racial or Cultural Differences
• IQs scores of black children are found low that of the white children from some
studies.
• And these scores could be race when their educational opportunities are improved.
• 6. Intelligence is the product of heredity and environment
• Studies say that there exist direct relation between intelligence with heredity and
environment.
Theories of Intelligence

• All the theories of intelligence can be divided into two categories.

They are;

1) Factor theories

2) Cognitive theories
• 1) Factor Theories
• According to factor theories of intelligence psychologists opined that
our intelligence is comprised of several factors or elements.
• The important factor theories are;
• 1. Faculty theory
• 2. Unitary theory or monarchic theory.
• 3. Spearman’s two-factor theory or eclectic theory.
• 4. Multifactor theory- Thorndike
• 5. Thurston’s group factor or anarchic theory.
• 6. Guilford’s theory of SI (Structure of Intelligence)
• 2) Cognitive theories of intelligence

• There are two theories,

1. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence

2. Cattel and Horn’s theory of intelligence.

1. Spearman’s Two Factor Theory (Eclectic theory of ‘g’ factor theory)

• It is also known as eclectic theory or ‘g’ factor theory.

• Spearman’s theory of intelligence consisted of 2 factors; general (g) and specific (s)
factors.

• According to the two factor theory of intelligence, the performance of any

intellectual act requires some combination of general abilities ‘g’ and of specific factor ‘S’.

• A person’s intellectual ability is an estimate of their ‘g’.

• Eg: An individual’s performance in language is partly due to his general intelligence

and partly due to some kind of specific ability in language which he might possess.

• The total ability or intelligence ‘A’ of an individual will be express by the equation,

• A = g + s1 + s2 + s3 + …. + sn ()
Spearman’s Two Factor Theory
 • 2. J.P. Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intelligence (SI)

• Joy Paul Guilford (1897-1987). According to Guilford’s structure of

intelligence (SI), an individual’s performance on intelligence can be
traced back to the underlying mental abilities or factors of intelligence.
• SI theory comprises of 150 different intellectual abilities organized
along 3 dimensions ----
• Operations,
• Content
• Product.
• i) Operation dimension
• SI includes 5 operations or general intellectual processes. They
are;
• a. Cognition (ability to learn)
• b. Memory (ability to retention)
• c. Divergent production/Thinking (the ability to generate multiple
solution to a problem) leads to out box thinking
• d. Convergent production/Thinking (the ability to generate a
single solution for problem)
• e. Evaluation (the ability to judge, the information is correct).

Operation ------ CO CO ME DIE

• ii) Content dimension

a) Figural (visual)

b) Auditory (auditory information is perceived through hearing).

c) Symbolic (information perceived through symbols)

d) Semantic (signs connected to meaning)

e) Behavioral (information perceived through actions)

Content------- BASSyF
• iii) Product dimension
• 6 factors are involved in it.
• a) Unit (single item of knowledge)
• b) Classes
(A set of unit sharing common information can be called as class.)
• c) Relation
(Association, analogy, etc. )(analogy -> similarity)
• d) System
(Multiple relations interrelated).
• e) Transformation (change)
• f) Implication (Prediction of inferences, anticipates)

Product--------TRICUS
J.P. Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intelligence (SI)
• Cognitive Theories of Intelligence
• 3. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence
• His book: ‘Frames of Mind’: Theory of Multiple Intelligence, 1983.
• Howard Gardner propounded a unique theory of intelligence called theory of multiple
intelligence.
• He asserted that human intelligence or cognitive competency can be better described
as a set of individuals multiple abilities and he concluded that there are 7 independent type
of intelligence depending upon their hereditary characteristics or environmental
experiences.
• This different type of intelligence has been named by him as;
• 1) Linguistic
• 2) Logical-mathematical
• 3) Spatial
• 4) Musical
• 5) Bodily kinesthetic
• 6) Intrapersonal
• 7) Interpersonal
1) Linguistic Intelligence

• This type of human intelligence is responsible for all kind of linguistic competency,
abilities talents and skills.

• This type of intelligence is most visible in professionals like lawyers, lecturers, lyrics and
a number of other professionals exploiting linguistic intelligence.

• 2)Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

• This type of intelligence is responsible for all types of abilities, talents, and skills in areas
related to logic and mathematics.

• It can be broken down into components like deductive reasoning & inductive reasoning,
solving of logical puzzles, calculations etc.

• Professionals like mathematicians; engineers etc. are coming under this category.
• 3) Spatial Intelligence
• This type of intelligence is concerned with the abilities involving
representation and manipulation of special configuration and
relationship.
• E.g.: Painters may be seen to demonstrate special intelligence
through the use of space when applying pigments to a Canvas. Land
surveys, architects, sculptures, etc. possess this type of intelligence.
• 4) Musical Intelligence
• This type of intelligence covers the abilities and skills in the field
of music. It may be well demonstrated through once capacity for pitch
discrimination sensitivity to rhythm, ability to hear themes in music,
etc. This intelligence can be mostly visible in professionals like
musicians and composes.
• 5) Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence
• This type of intelligence is concerned with the set of abilities,
talents, and skills in using body and its various parts to perform
purposeful meaningful movements.
• E.g.: Dancers, athletes, etc.
• 6. Intrapersonal Intelligence
• This type of intelligence consists of an individual ability to know
himself. It includes knowledge and understanding of one’s own
cognitive strength, styles and mental functioning as well as well as
one’s feeling and skills to utilize one’s knowledge in practical situation.
• 7. Interpersonal Intelligence

• It consists of the abilities to understand individuals, other than

oneself and one’s relation to others. The knowledge and
understanding to others is the quality that is needed for social
interaction.
Emotional Intelligence
• Etymologically the term emotion derived from ‘emovere’ which
means to stir up. Emotion is moved or stirred up state of on organism.
• Characteristics of Emotion
• 1. Emotions are universal in nature.
• 2. Emotions are personal and thus differ from individual to
individual .
• 3. An emotion can give birth to a number of other similar
emotions.
• 4. Every emotional experience involves many physical and
physiological changes in the organism.
• 5. Some observable symptoms are flow of tears, bulge of eyes,
choke in the voice, gooseflesh sensation, etc.
• 6. Emotion has the quality of displacement.
• 7. Emotions raise sudden but subside slowly.
1. 8. The core of an emotion is feeling which give birth to a sort of
impulsive act or urge to do.
 Peter Salavoy and John Mayer in their
article “Emotional Intelligence” in the
journal Imagination, Cognition, and
Personality in 1990.
• Two aspect of emotional intelligence are:
• 1. Awareness of one’s own emotions.
• 2. Control and management of emotions.
• He identifies 5 domains (area) of emotional intelligence
• 1. To know your emotion
• 2. Managing your emotions
• 3. Motivating you (motivation)
• 4. Recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions
• 5. Managing relationship
• 3. Importance of Emotional Intelligence
•• Emotional Intelligence is essential to interpersonal and intra
personal relationship at home, school and society.
•• It helps one to identify his strength and weaknesses.
•• Helps a person to take on learning as an emotional base.
•• Helping to focus us on what makes a complete human being.
•• Help to identifying others feelings as our own.
• Emotional intelligence is an ability of an individual to control or
manage our emotions.
 Creativity
The term creativity originated from Latin word
Creo, which means, ‘to make’, or ‘to discover’.

Creativity, is the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence

something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or
device, or a new artistic object or form.
• Creativity is the ability of a person to discover or to produce a new
idea or a novel idea involving the rearrangement or reshaping of what
is already known to him.
• Definition of Creativity:
• Guilford(1959): ‘ creativity is the capacity to produce ideas that are
both new and useful through divergent thinking.’
• Spearman (1931): ‘creativity is the power of human mind to create
new contents by transforming relations and generating new
correlates.’
Aspects of Creativity

• Theories of creativity focused on some aspects which are the

dominant factors usually identified as the 4 Ps. They are,
• Process
• Product,
• Person,
• Place.
• Unique personal experiences novel or new ideas, satisfaction of
a person, re-arrangement of already existing knowledge in a social
area are meant by those aspects.
• Characteristics of Creativity
• 1) It is universal in nature
• 2) It is not confined to any individual or group of individual.
• (Every one of us possess creativity in some extent)
• Creativity is innate as well as acquired
• 3) It produces something new or novel.
• 4) It is advengerous and open thinking:
• It is really departure from the conventional thinking.
• 5) Creativity is a means as well as end in itself.
• 6) It carries ego involvement.
• 7) Creativity and intelligence do not necessarily go hand in hand (direct correlation)
• 8) Creativity rest more on divergent thinking that on convergent (same) thinking.
• 9) Creativity cannot be separate from intelligence.
• 10) Creativity and school achievements are not correlated.
• 11) Sociability and creativity are negatively correlated (inverse relationship)
• 12) Creativity and anxiety often go together.
• The Steps or Stages in Creative Thinking
• There are so many stages forward by different psychologists.
• Wallach’s (1926) stages
• There are four stages in Wallach stages in creative thinking.
They are;
• 1. Preparation
• 2. Incubation
• 3. Illumination
• 4. Verification
• 1. Preparation
• In the 1st stage, conscious work on the problem is initiated. Initially, a
stage is set for the solution of a problem.
• 2. Incubation
• This stage is characterized by the absence of activity or in many
instances even not thinking about the problem. We may rest sleep or
indulge in any other activity.
• 3. Illumination
• During this stage the thinker is often presented with a sudden
appearance of the solution of problem.

• 4. Verification
• In this stage verification is take place to determine whether the idea
which appeared through insight is the correct one. In case it does not work
fresh attempts are made to solve the problem.
• Identification of Creative Children
• There are two types of tests
• Creativity tests in Abroad
• 1) Minnesota Test of Creative Thinking.
• 2) Guilford’s divergent thinking instrument.
• 3) Wallach and Kogan’s creativity instrument.
• 4) Torrance test of creative thinking.
• 5) Remote Association Test
• Creativity Tests in India
• 1) Baquer Mahadis Test of Creative Thinking
• 2) Pazzy’s Test of Creativity.
• 3) Sharma’s Divergent Production Ability Test
• 4) Saxenas Test of Creativity
• Abroad
• Torrance Test of Creative Thinking
• Ellis Paul Torrance (E.P. Torrance, 1950-2003).
• He is an American psychologist. There are 2 types of tests; verbal test and non-verbal
test.
• 1) Non-Verbal Test
• There are 3 types of non-verbal tests.

• i) Figure or Picture Completion Test

• There are some incomplete figures, the subjects are asked to complete these figures by
adding new lines or new dimensions of ideas.
• ii) Picture or Figural Construction Test
• In this subtest subject is provided a piece of coloured paper cut. In a curved shape asked
to think of a figure or picture of which this paper may be a part.
• iii) Parallel Line Test
• In this test there may be several pairs of straight lines the subject is required to draw as
many objects by using each pair.
• 2) Verbal Test
• i) Asking Type
• In this type of activity the subject is encourage his ability to perceive all things which are not
normally perceived by others.
• ii) Guess Cause & Guess Consequence Type
• This type aimed at revealing the subject ability to formulate hypothesis concerning cause &
effect. While being presented with a picture the subject may be asked to guess what lies in the
situation in the picture and what its consequence may be.
• iii) Unusual Use Type
• These devices are meant to test the subject divergent thinking about the number of ways in
which a product may be used.
• iv) Just Suppose Type
• In this type, the subjects are asked to; predict the outcomes of unusual situations.
• Eg: What would happen to you if you had been provided another set of eyes at the back of your
head?
• v) Product Improvement Type
• The subject is asked to suggest ways and means of improving a toy, a machine or other such
products to make it as interesting and useful as possible.
• vi) Cow Jumping Type
• vii) Imaginary Stories Types
• Indian Version
• 1) Baquer Mehdi’s Test of Creative Thinking
• First published in National Psychological Corporation, Agra,
• 4 verbal and 3 non-verbal
• 1) Verbal tests
• i) Consequence Test
• 12 minutes are allowed to complete this test. In this test, the subjects are
allowed to think and make as many consequences as possible for a situation.
• E.g.: What would happen if man could fly like the birds?
• What would happen if our school has wheels?
• ii) Unusual test
• 15 minutes are allowed to complete this test. In this test, the subjects
are asked to present as many novels interesting and unusual use for the
objects as you think.
• E.g.: a piece of stone, water, woolen, sticks etc.
• iii) New related Test (15 minutes)
• The subjects are asked to think relationship between some pairs of
words as possible.
• Eg: Tree-house
• Chair – ladder
• Air – water, etc.
• iv) Product Improvement Test (6 minutes)
• Suppose you start with a toy and think of as many new things or
features to make it more useful and interesting.
• 2) Non-Verbal Tests
• i) Picture Construction Test-1 (20 minutes)
• There are 2 simple geometrical figures one, a semi circle and a rhombus.
We have to construct and elaborate pictures using each figure as an integral part
and we have to give a title.
• ii) Line Figure Completion Test (15 minutes)
• 10 incomplete line drawings are showing students are required to draw
meaningful and interesting pictures using each of them and give appropriate title.
• iii) Picture Construct Test (15 minutes)
• Hence 7-triangles and 7 ellipses are shown students required to construct
meaningful and interesting pictures by using these figures in multiple associations.
• Role of Teacher in Fostering Creativity among children
• 1. Freedom to Respond
• 2. Opportunity for ego involvement
• 3. Enduring originality and flexibility
• 4. Removal of hesitation and fear
• 5. Providing appropriate opportunities and atmosphere for creative
expression.
• 6. Developing healthy habits among children.
• 7. Using the creative resources of the community.
• 8. Avoidance of blocks to creative thinking
• 9. Proper organization of the curriculum.
• 10. Reform in the evaluation system.
• 11. Use of special techniques for fostering novel ideas.
• Models, use of gaming techniques.
EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

• Exceptional children are those who deviate significantly from

the normal one.
• An exceptional child deviates from the normal or average child
in mental, physical, or social characteristics.
• They are far above or below in one or more aspect of
educational achievement. The children are also called children with
special needs.
Characteristics of Exceptional children

1) Exceptional children deviate from the average children.

2) Their deviation from the average children easily distinguished from average
children.

3) The deviation may be any behavioral/or developmental dimensions such as

physical, intellectual, emotional or social.

4) These children experience peculiar problems and require special

attention practices and other related services.
• Types of Exceptional Children
• Broadly we can classify exceptional children.
• 5 levels
• 1. Intellectually exceptional children
• E.g.: Gifted children
• Slow learners
• Creative learners
• 2. Physically exceptional children
• E.g.: Dough, dump, blind, partially blind, etc. speech defects.
• 3. Emotionally exceptional children
• 4. Socially exceptional children
• 5. Multi exceptional children
• Identification of gifted children (How can identify gifted children)
• 1. Intelligence test
• 2. Achievement test
• 3. Creativity test
• 4. School marks
• 5. Cumulative records
• 6. Anecdotal records
• 7. Aptitude test
• 8. Interest inventories
• 9. Reports from the teachers friends
• 10. Teacher’s observation etc.
• Education for Gifted Children
• 1. Establish separate schools
• 2. Ability grouping
• 3. Acceleration or double promotion
• 4. Enrichment programs
• 5. Triple track plan.
• 6. Establishment of summer schools.
• 2. Slow Learners (Backward Children)
• A backward child is one who shows marked educational
deficiency compared with other pupils of the same age. He is a child
who is unable to do the work normally expected of his age group. The
IQ of slow learners usually ranges from 70-90.
• Characteristics of Backward Children
• 1. He is a slow learner and feels difficulty in normal school work.
• 2. His educational attainment falls below his natural abilities.
• 3. He is in most situations a failure in the academic field and
shows educational backwardness.
• 4. His span of attention and concentration are short.
• 5. His ability to evaluate materials is limited and has limited power
of self direction
• Causes of backwardness
• 1. Physical or physiological factors
• 2. Intellectual factors (low IQ, Low memory power, low
concentration, low thinking abilities, etc.)
• 3. Family factors (poverty, broken family, splited family, etc.)
• 4. School factors
• 5. Social factors
• Social calamities, natural calamities, natural problems, etc.
• . Identification of backward children
• Backwardness of children can be identified through 2 ways.
• i) Identifying features of backward.
• ii) Identifying by use of tests.
• Achievement test diagnostic test, intelligence test, situational test
other psychological test, observation by the teacher, records, etc.
• Problems of Backward Children
• 1. Generally assignments given to backward children are too
difficult and so they often perform to do the regular classroom.
• 2. Lack of motivation is another problem.
• 3. Learning materials are often meaningless to him and he finds
difficulty in learning it.
• 4. Because of repeated failures he beliefs himself as incapable.
• 5. He fears failures and lacks ability and confidence.
• 6. He often flooded with anxiety.
• Treatment or Education of Backward Children (Role of Teacher)
• 1. Regular medical checkup and necessary treatment.
• 2. Re adjustment in the home and school.
• 3. Provision of special schools and special classes.
• 4. Provision of special curriculum, method of teaching and special
teachers.
• 5. Special coaching and proper individual attention.
• 6. Provision for co-curricular activities.
• 7. Rendering guidance services.
• 8. Controlling negative environmental factors.
• Learning Disability (LD)
• 1. Dyslexia
• It is a condition related to poor reading. Children with dyslexia have
one or more symptoms such as.
• i) Letter or word reversal.
• ii) Letter or word reversal when writing.
• iii) Difficulty in repeating what is said to them.
• iv) Poor handwriting.
• v) Poor drawing ability.
• vi) Difficulty in comprehending writing directions.
• vii) Difficulty with right left directionality and difficulty in understanding
or remembering or what is said to them.
• viii) Difficulty in understanding or remembering what just they read.
• In short dyslexia is a brain based learning disability that specifically
• Dysgraphia
• It is a learning disability in writing or writing disorders.
• It is a learning disability which effect writing which requires a
complex set of motor and information processing skills.
• Symptoms of Dysgraphia
• i) Poor understanding upper case or lower case letters.
• ii) Inability to write or draw in a line or within margin.
• iii) Inconsistent spacing between letters or words.
• iv) Trouble in forming letter shapes.
• Dyscalculia
• It is a learning disability in mathematics.
• The meaning is counting badly children with dyscalculia may
have difficulty in understanding simple number concept.
• Symptoms
• i) Problems in counting,
• ii) Problems in calculation
• iii) Problems in number with zeros
• iv) Problems in measures, etc.
• ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder]
• - ADHD is a childhood psychiatric disorder
• - It is a disorder due to hyper activity.
• - Children with ADHD faces difficulty in controlling behavior.
• - They will be over active and impulsive in nature.
• Symptoms
• i) Talk nonstop
• ii) Dash around
• iii) Touching and playing with anything and everything in sight.
• iv) Shows trouble while sitting for dinner, school or classroom even at story time.
• v) Constantly in motion.
• vi) Very impatient.
• vii) Act without thinking about the consequences.
• viii) Interrupt conversation of others or others activity.