Introduction to Student Diversity

In keeping with the general nature of developmental theory, students have been generalised in a way, referring to “the” child, student, or youngster; as if a single typical or average individual exists and develops through single, predictable pathways.

As every teacher knows, however, development is not that simple. A class of 25 or 30 students will contain 25 or 30 individuals each learning and developing along distinct pathways.
Why then study developmental patterns at all?

Underlying their obvious diversity, students indeed show important similarities. This course so far has indicated some of the similarities and how they relate to the job of teaching.

References to “the” student should not be understood, therefore, as supporting simple-minded stereotypes; they refer instead to common tendencies of real, live children and youth.

Pointing to developmental changes is like pointing to a flock of birds in flight: the flock has a general location, but individual birds also have their own locations and take individual flight paths.

Development and diversity therefore have to be understood jointly, not separately. There are indeed similarities woven among the differences in students, but also differences woven among students’ commonalities.