Abstract

• The purpose of the study was to measure and compare the Big Five personality traits of B.Ed. first year students at the University for the Development of the National Races of the Union (UDNR).To fulfil the study, a simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 150 students of B.Ed. first year (65 males&85 females) who were chosen from three specialized subjects (Arts, Science and Combination of Arts & Science). The students’ Big Five personality traits were examined by using the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP)(Goldberg, 1999) which comprised of the fifty statements about personality traits (10 statements about each personality trait) by collecting demographic information of the participants such as gender and specialized subject. The Big Five personality traits are Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness. Collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques such as mean, independent sample t- test and ANOVA. It was found that B.Ed. first year students’ Agreeableness personality trait was the greatest factor among participants in this study and Neuroticism personality trait was the smallest factor among them. Male students got greater scores on their Big Five personality traits instruments as compared to female students. There were significant differences between male and female students on Neuroticism and Openness personality traits; female students were stronger than male students on their Neuroticism personality traits and then male students were stronger than female students on their Openness personality traits. But there were no significant differences on remaining personality traits between male and female students. Another finding pointed out that there were no significant differences between specialized subjects on each Big Five personality trait.