This book provides an accessible account of the recent research into how personality effects children's and adults' experiences of success and failure in education.

No two learners are the same, yet the current emphasis in education is on what is common to learners, from a common curriculum to a common teaching method. "Individual Learners" reviews and discusses recent research that shows that differences in personality contribute significantly to children's and adults' experiences of success and failure in education. It considers fundamental issues in the study of personality, and provides an up-to-date review and evaluation of the continuing nature-nurture debate. It then examines traits that can have an impact upon learning: aggressiveness, anxiety, achievement, motivation, self-confidence and shyness. It includes an account of the recent research into the links between personality and education and its implications for educational practice.