Personality and individual learning theories:a cross sectional study in the context of social-communicative training

Abstract

This article reports on a study concerning relationships between personality traits and three aspects of Individual Learning Theories (ILTs) on acquiring social-communicative competence: self-perceived social-communicative competence, domain-related learning conceptions and preferred learning situations. ILTs are personal theories, which serve as frames of reference to describe, categorise and explain learning and school-related issues with regard to a particular domain. We investigated relations between personality and three ILT variables for first-, second- and fourth-year social work students. Results show that personality and ILT variables are related. Especially self-perceived competence and personality are related. Autonomy plays the most important role, especially for first-year students. Autonomy also predicts learning situations that first- and fourth-year students favour. Personality is more strongly related to ILT variables for social work students in the first year of their study. For these students personality predicts self-perceived social-communicative competence and preferences for learning situations. For older students, especially the second-year students, personality and ILT variables are less related. Increased insight into the role of personality in ILTs can help to improve education.