Individual Differences and Education

Catalog description

This course is an overview of the major theories and significant research on the development and explanation of individual differences and how those differences affect the education of school-age children. Specific topics include physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and cultural development in children and youth ages 3-20. By its very nature, the course will include a diversity focus, with special attention to ethnic, cultural, and gender issues as well as the needs of special populations. Within each topics area, the course will pay special attention to theoretical and empirical work on how and why variations occur, how they are to be interpreted and measured, and the implications those variations have for society, especially for schooling. Traditional and alternative practices in schools will be examined to see which approaches best meet the needs of in increasingly diverse American society. The course will also address cross-cultural comparisons to identify similarities and differences in developmental patterns, what these patterns tell us about development, and the societal impacts of these patterns. While the course will focus on individual differences in education it will not be exclusively oriented toward future teachers. The course will also help parents ( or future parents) and citizens understand the nature of development and individual differences of students as they progress through the educational system.