Identifying the Individual Differences Among Students During Learning and Teaching Process by Science Teachers

Abstract

It is important for teachers to know variables such as physical characteristics, intelligence, perception, gender, ability, learning styles, which are individual differences of the learners. An effective and productive learning-teaching process can be planned by considering these individual differences of the students. Since the learners' own learning speeds and interests vary, these characteristics should be taken into consideration by the teacher. The aim of this research is to determine how science teachers are bringing out the individual differences of students during the learning-teaching process. Qualitative research method is used in this research and case is designed according to phenomenology. According to research findings, half of interviewed science teachers stated that individual differences are important for determining the learning styles of students. Again, half of the teachers emphasized that students identify their individual differences with the help of tests, homeworks and activities during the teaching and learning process. Teachers also stated that in order to design the learning-teaching process appropriate to the individual differences of the learners, the learners would make active participation in the lesson and the individual differences could be supported by increasing the experiment and school trips.