The Contribution of Student Personality and Temperament to Performance and Satisfaction in School

• Published in: Educational review (Birmingham) Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 229 - 239
• Main Authors: Paisey, A. H. G., Paisey, T. J. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Birmingham Taylor & Francis Group 01.11.1982; University of Birmingham, School of Education, etc
• ISSN: 0013-1911; 1465-3397
• DOI: 10.1080/0013191820340305

Contributions of personality, temperament, work style and satisfaction to performance in school were assessed along with measures of teaching style and teachers' global ratings of student performance and behaviour in 133 high school students aged 15-17 years. Significant relationships emerged between student grades in class and personality/temperament measures indicative of capacity to work, self-control and social adjustment. Student neuroticism and reactivity were related to self-reported costs of adjustment to school, indexed by frequency of absences and illnesses, while students' psychoticism (toughmindedness) scores were related to unfavourable teacher evaluations. In general, low reactivity (a measure of sustained capacity to work) emerged as the best single predictor of adjustment and performance in class, while teacher style (as rated by students) contributed little in this respect.