Free Trick to Boost Test Scores? Try a Dose of Failure!
Want a fool-proof way to boost test scores? Tell your students it’s okay if they fail. Tell them it is a natural part of learning, and that everyone fails sometimes. It may seem counter-intuitive, but studies show it works. As we like to say – “Failure is Awesome!”
A group of French researchers at the University of Poitiers focused their study on the cultural belief that failure speaks directly of “intellectual inferiority.” They felt differently.
“By being obsessed with success, students are afraid to fail, so they are reluctant to take difficult steps to master new material,” explained Dr. Frederique Autin. “Acknowledging that difficulty is a crucial part of learning could stop a vicious circle in which difficulty creates feelings of incompetence that in turn disrupts learning.”
The studies done were simple – students were given incredibly difficult problems they were unable to solve. One group was told that learning is difficult, and failure is normal. The other group was told nothing. Afterwards, each group of students was given a test that measures working memory (a good indicator of academic achievement and IQ). The students who were told that “failure is awesome” scored far better than those who weren’t.
Additionally, students who were told that learning is difficult and failure is normal did better on reading comprehension tests and also reported that they did not feel academically incompetent.
The changes probably aren’t permanent – telling students that failure is normal once won’t boost their abilities indefinitely. However, the studies make it clear that boosting students confidence so that they are less afraid to fail assists their working memory, at least in the short term.
The researcher’s advice? “Teachers and parents should emphasize children’s progress rather than focusing solely on grades and test scores. Learning takes time and each step in the process should be rewarded, especially at early stages when students most likely will experience failure.”
Creative Commons Love: Robert Hruzek on Flickr.com
Written by Jessica Wheeler
