Temperament, school adjustment, and academic achievement: existing research and future directions

Abstract

Since the 1980s, research has been examining the role of temperament in education. In particular, academic achievement and school adjustment were among the first variables to be examined. Subsequently, several studies have documented associations between temperament and either academic achievement or school adjustment. However, no review of this literature has been conducted to obtain a clear understanding of the findings of existing research and the issues associated with them. Thus, the purpose of this article is to review the literature relating temperament to academic achievement and school adjustment. This review examined three areas in the study of temperament (a) the definition of temperament, (b) the measurement of temperament, and (c) the results of the reviewed studies. All the reviewed studies found significant correlations between children's temperaments and school adjustment as well as between temperament and academic achievement. Detailed descriptions of the characteristics of the reviewed studies are provided. Considerations for future research directions are also discussed.