Personality and the education process: Individual difference preferences for teacher, technology, testing, time and topic

Abstract

The present paper looks at the relationship between well-established personality traits and five different features of the educational process. Specifically, I explore the relationship between pupil Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness and personal preferences for Teacher (who the instructor is), Technology (the mode of instruction used), Testing (how the learning is evaluated), Time (the pace, length and time-of-day of the instruction period), and Topic (what is taught/discipline). There is a scattered literature on these topics which is briefly reviewed with a particular interest in how they relate to personality trait correlates. Evidence suggests the importance of understanding the role personality trait preferences in various educational choices and outcomes.