Stereotyping

I read an article in Education Week about the effect of perceived stereotyping has on student achievement. It was very interesting and also mentioned some studies that show what educators and parents can do to overcome such perceptions.

Basically, the studies gave different groups of students different messages before taking an assessment. What researchers found was that those students who received positive messages about the adaptability of intelligence did better than those that received a generic message (an anti-drug message, for instance.)

A quote from the article: "When students perceive their learning environment to convey a fixed view of intelligence, their achievement goes down." This tells me that teachers and parents can help students achieve at higher rates by stressing to students that learning can be improved and is not fixed at a certain point.

One thing I've heard from parents in the past is that, "I wasn't very good at math either," to underscore a child's achievement level. This is generally done from an understanding point of view, but does little to enhance the learning of the child. By focusing on working hard and acknowledging that learning takes time, we help our students remain engaged and don't allow stereotyping to limit growth.