What Can the Study of Genetics Offer to Educators?

This article explores the potential contribution of modern genetic methods and findings to education. It is familiar to hear that the gene for this or that behavior has been discovered, or that certain skills are highly heritable. Can this help educators? To explore this question, we describe the methods used to relate genetic variation to individual differences in high-level behaviors such as academic skills and educational achievement. These methods include twin studies and genome-wide association studies. We address the key question of what genetic data imply about the ability of educators to optimize educational outcomes for children across the range of abilities.