The gritty truth
(APA news)
Skeptics, however, were not as impressed with Duckworth’s theory of stick-to-itiveness, arguing that grit’s contribution to success has been overstated. Now, a new study exploring the trait in the context of other factors that influence success is finding further support for the power of grit: Duckworth and colleagues have found that grit is important — but it’s just one of the ingredients necessary for success
Nearly all middle school teachers are highly stressed
(Science Daily)
Researchers have found that 94% of middle school teachers experience high levels of stress, which could contribute to negative outcomes for students. Researchers say that reducing the burden of teaching experienced by so many teachers is critical to improve student success — both academically and behaviorally.
Teaching effectiveness vs. teaching evaluations
(The Learning Scientists)
For most of us who teach in higher education, the end of the semester means administering teaching evaluations and can be a bit stressful for some. However, the beginning of each semester means reading those evaluations.
More sleep and asking for help can help students with stress
(KOAA)
A recent nationwide survey by conducted the American Psychological Association found as many of 35 percent of high school students reported lying awake at night, unable to sleep because of stress.
Teacher-preparation programs make gains in the ‘science of reading,’ review finds
(Education Week – Subscription required, free trial)
The number of teacher-preparation programs that teach reading instruction that’s aligned with the greater body of cognitive research has increased significantly over the past seven years, according to a new review.
Heavy traffic pollution may affect kids’ brain development
(Reuters)
Brain scans of 12-year-old children show reduced thickness of the cortex and decreased gray matter volume in those who lived less than a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from a major highway at age 1, according to a report in PLoS ONE.
Participate in a new survey on PhD mental health
(Chronicle of Higher Education)
Recently the Council of Graduate Schools announced a multiyear study to learn more about mental health and wellness in doctoral training, and to find workable solutions.
The outsize influence of your middle-school friends
(The Atlantic)
The intensity of feelings generated by friendship in childhood and adolescence is by design.
Why won’t society let black girls be children?
(New York Times Parenting)
Adultification means teachers, parents and law enforcement are less protective and more punitive with certain kids.
How to not screw up retrieval practice
(A Chemical Orthodoxy)
In the introduction to this series, it was noted that retrieval practice (RP) can go wrong and is in danger of lethal mutation. In this entry I’m going to look at how RP can be implemented in the classroom to try and anticipate and mitigate some of the concerns raised.
Praise, rather than punish, to see up to 30% greater focus in the classroom
(Science Daily)
To improve behavior in class, teachers should focus on praising children for good behavior, rather than telling them off for being disruptive, according to a new study.
Measuring research transparency
(Inside Higher Ed)
Under a new initiative from the Center for Open Science, based in Charlottesville, Va., more than 300 scholarly titles in psychology, education and biomedical science will be assessed on 10 measures related to transparency, with their overall result for each category published in a publicly available table.
Young children prefer to learn from confident people
(Science Daily)
Researchers found that young children between the age of four and five not only prefer to learn from people who appear confident, they also keep track of how well the person’s confidence has matched with their knowledge and accuracy in the past (a concept called ‘calibration’) and avoid learning new information from people who have a history of being overconfident.
Psychology students train bystanders
(Inside Higher Ed)
A Rutgers University Camden psychology professor’s teaching of a bystander intervention program in class helped extend sexual assault prevention training to more than 150 others on campus, the university announced in a press release.
Thinking about thinking helps kids learn. How can we teach critical thinking?
(The Conversation – Australia)
Critical thinking is being taught successfully in a number of programs in Australian schools and universities and around the world. And various studies show these programs improve students’ thinking ability and even their standardised test scores.
Teaching children how to think etc.
(Greg Ashman’s Filling the Pail)
Another decade, another article in The Conversation illustrating the irony that advocates of critical thinking seldom think critically about it.
Why focusing on adult learning builds a school culture where students thrive
(KQED – Mind/Shift)
When policymakers and school leaders talk about improving schools, much of the focus is on test scores, teaching strategies, curriculum and other services consumed directly by students. Often less attention is paid to the culture of adult learning in a school building, but maybe it’s time that changed. Harvard researchers have been studying the impact of what they call a “growth culture” on the effectiveness and productivity of companies. Now, they’re expanding that work into schools.
How strengthening relationships with boys can help them learn
(KQED – Mind/Shift)
But it turns out that parents can’t build a wall around their children, says Reichert, a clinical psychologist and author of “How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men.” What parents and teachers can do is strengthen boys’ resilience to be themselves.
How 5 experts say colleges can create a ‘holistic’ student experience
(Chronicle of Higher Education – video with closed captions)
Educators use the word “holistic” to signal a commitment to students’ success academically and personally, in college and beyond. Holistic approach, holistic support — the term has become something of a buzzword. We asked five experts to interpret it by sharing one change institutions can make, in philosophy or practice, to improve the student experience.
Effective learning | how to turbocharge your study habits
(Learning Lab’s the Learning Curve)
At the heart of learning sits a discomforting truth: gaining expertise is difficult. To acquire a skill or area of knowledge, people will inevitably experience some form of hardship.
