This exploratory study aimed to investigate the implicit (personal theories) of student teachers through consideration of their beliefs about the nature of ability (intelligence). By drawing on ideas of personhood and identity to investigate constructions of intelligence, the authors also hoped to begin to explore the legitimacy of a multifaceted notion of individual accounts of ability. A questionnaire was administered to student teachers undertaking a one-year intensive postgraduate diploma in order to become high school teachers (n = 46) (12-18 years) or primary teachers (n = 41) (3 up to 12 years). Findings highlight the ways in which these student teachers held contrasting views of intelligence depending on their positioning and the implications for teaching decisions and children's learning experiences.