Post on 22-Jan-2018
What is it?
Academic Tenacity is a mindset where students work hard, and work smart for a long time.
They look beyond short term concerns to longer-term, higher order goals.
Withstand challenges and persevere toward these goals.
Academic Tenacity
69% of dropouts said school did not motivate or inspire them to work hard.
Many students that graduate say the same thing.
Most focus on curriculum and pedagogy.
Add the psychological factors.
Beliefs about themselvesFeelings about schoolHabits of self-control
Belong academically and sociallySee school as relevant to their futureWork hard and can postpone immediate
pleasuresNot derailed by intellectual or social
difficultiesSeek out challengesRemain engaged over the long haul
Student’s belief about academic ability
Fixed mindsetGrowth mindset
Praise for student achievement
AbilityEffort
Goal FocusPerformance goals focus on
abilityLearning goals focus on growth
Cooperative – motivated by sense of responsibility
Individualistic – may self-handicap
Why do good in schoolLong-term purpose for
learningBecome something they
valueAchievable
Students’ feelings of social belonging in school
Quality relationships with peers and teacher
Rise above distractions and temptations of the moment
Perseverance and passion for long-term goals
Interventions can be brief but produce long term results
They can trigger changes in the way students perceive their ongoing academic success
Works best when accompanied with curriculum or pedagogy
Not one size fits all, need to be customized
Teaching students that intelligence can be developed (a growth mindset)
Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck (2007) Urban, low-income, African American and Latino 7th grade students, higher math grades
Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht (2003) African American and Latino middle school students at a rural school , higher state test scores for all in reading and for girls in math
Aronson, Fried, & Good (2002) African American and white college students , higher GPA; greater valuing and enjoyment of academics
Helping students to feel that they belong or are valued in school
Walton & Cohen, (2007) African American college students, higher GPA
Cohen et al. (2006; 2009) African American and white middle school students, higher grades among African American students in the targeted class
Helping students to see how the curriculum is relevant to their own lives
Hulleman & Harackiewcz (2009) White, African American, Latino, and Asian high school students higher grades in the targeted class among students with low initial expectations of success
Helping students to set goals, identify obstacles, and learn self-control strategies
Oyserman, Bybee, & Terry (2006) African American and Latino middle school students, higher grades; fewer absences; fewer disciplinary referrals
Brigman & Webb (2007) Students in grades 5–9 who scored below 50th percentile on state math test, higher state test scores in reading and math
Minority public school students in NYC 7th
grade Grades declining, mainly in math Six-session workshop focusing on study skills
and how the brain grows new connections. Students showed an increase in math scores
2.52
2.45
2.37
2.54
2.6
2.68
2.2
2.25
2.3
2.35
2.4
2.45
2.5
2.55
2.6
2.65
2.7
2.75
Pre-Int Post-Int
Control
Mindset
Teachers were unaware of the intervention being used and saw significant changes in students behavior
Students put more effort into homeworkStudents requested extra help to understand
concepts being taughtGrades improved in all subjects for students
20 schools in NYC completed online version of growth mindset intervention called “Brainology”
All schools reported an increase in tenacity “I concentrate better on tests as well as
homework. I have also been very responsible, and I know I can do what I put my mind to.”
“I used to give up easily and now I keep on trying.”
“Now, my attitude towards the subjects that I have trouble in [is] I try harder to study and master the skills that I have problems in.”
Students staying engaged, achieving goals, feeling included and respected by others in school is their sense of social belonging.
Building students sense of social belonging in school can lift them out of everyday worries.
One study helping African American students transitioning to college.
Older students wrote essays to younger students describing their adjustment experience to college.
Most students in the study expressed appreciation and learned great things.
“I’ve gained more reassurance that everyone has their doubts…but manage to overcome them.”
“Information from senior students makes my struggle to transition seem more normal and I felt less isolated.”
Grades increased
Middle school students rank personal values in terms of importance.
Wrote for 15 minutes why values that they chose were important to them.
Control group wrote why their low ranked value might be important to someone else.
Students improved grades by 20%.
Students need to have the personal understanding as to way school is relevant to themselves, their lives, and their society.
When students are told what they are learning will impact not only their life but the lives of those around them.
Studies show that the work longer and harder at learning the content.
They processed the lesson more deeply and retained information for a longer period of time.
Intervention to encourage students to see relevance of science in their lives.
Once a month students were asked to write a brief essay describing how the material that they were learning applied to their lives.
Results were those students in the study had more interest in taking more science classes and earned better grades compared to students not in the study.
In the study a gain in grades was only seen when the student came up with the reason why the schoolwork was relevant.
“Future self”Study included 8th graders, inner city schools 10 session workshop which had them
describe what kind of adult they would like to be like and the obstacle that they might face and how to over come those obstacles.
Results were less absences, less discipline problems, and higher grades.
0.95
2.51
1.64
0.89
1.571.36
9th grade norentention
Hours spent onhomework per week
Average 9th gradeGPA
Future Self
Study Control
Student Success Skills Program Focused on 5th-9th graders that scored below 50th
percentile on state tests. Taught students how to set goals, monitor
progress toward those goals, and how to handle high-pressure situations.
Students also taught stress management techniques.
Results were higher test scores that continued for over 2 years after they had gone through the program.
Jamie Escalante “Stand and Deliver” Inner-city LA school trying to get students to
reach their full potential.AP calculus exam only taken by 2% of
students nation wide. In 1987 Escalante’s students accounted for
26% of all Mexican Americans to receive college credit for taking the exam
St. Mel inner-city Catholic school in Chicago consisting of economically disadvantaged students.
Set high standards on learning. Expected students to understand information on
a deep level instead of surface level. Teachers were expected to give substantial feed
back on all written work. For the past 7 years 100% of graduating seniors
have been accepted into college and half of those have gone to top-tier or Ivy League schools.
Xavier University Since 1993 they have placed more African
American students into medical school that any other university.
Sets high standards with a rigorous curriculum and an intensive college prep program.
Education philosophy: “The mind is an unlimited facility, that if you give the support, provided the environment and teachers, young people will exceed their own potential.”
Challenge the students
Set high attainable standards
Attention to students
Scaffolding
Cognitive
Substantive feedback
Motivational
Goal setting
Self-management strategies
Belonging
Learning environments should cultivate a students feelings of belonging
Positive relationships with responsible adults
Rigorous, supportive learning environment promotes student tenacity.
Student outcomes were most improved when a caring and supportive environment was combined with “academic press” or a focus on learning and high expectations.
Educators need to send the message in word and deed that their students truly belong and have great potential.