In her LIfBi Lecture, Marion Spengler discussed how educational contexts can serve as a frame of reference for understanding personality development. At the outset, Spengler explained that personality can be understood as an important resource, for example, for subjective well-being, mental health, educational and professional success.

Personality as a predictor of educational outcomes

Marion Spengler used recent research to show that conscientiousness, as a very central personality trait, as well as responsible behavior and learning in school, are reliable indicators of later academic achievement and a wide range of other life outcomes.

Personality development in educational contexts

Personality exhibits stable and variable aspects throughout the life course. At the same time, adolescence is often emphasized as an important period of self, identity, and personality formation, much of which is spent in educational contexts. Educational contexts influence how adolescents develop into young adults at different levels: the educational system, the classroom, the teacher, and classmates may play a role here. The two constructs of personality and school-related behavior show great similarities and develop in parallel: students learn which behaviors lead to success in school. In other words, educational contexts activate school-related behaviors that play a role in personality development throughout the rest of the lifespan.

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