DILIGENCE - brief review 10.14.2014 ·...
Transcript of DILIGENCE - brief review 10.14.2014 ·...
Fostering Academic Diligence in K-‐12 Education
“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence. ”
-‐-‐ Abigail Adams
“The expectations of life depend on diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
-‐-‐ Confucius
“Diligence is the mother of good luck.” -‐-‐ Benjamin Franklin
What is diligence?
Diligence is usually defined as being thorough completion of a task or goal. The construct of diligence
was studied by Bernard (1991) in an attempt to determine the contribution of effort to student success
and was initially defined as an expression or reflection of effort extended by students toward a balanced
or holistic development of their mental, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of life1. Diligence is
also related to the psychological constructs of conscientiousness2, effort3, grit4, and persistence5. Some
of the underlying psychological mechanisms involve executive control6 (e.g., planning, keeping track of
time, evaluating ideas). The theoretical foundations of diligence include attribution theory7, self-‐
efficacy8. This review is mainly focused on academic diligence (includes conscientiousness, effort, grit,
and persistence). It contains a brief summary of useful strategies and resources, dedicated to those K-‐12
educators (teachers, counselors and administrators) who want to deepen their knowledge about how to
promote diligence in schools.
What is academic diligence? 1 See Bernard, 1991 2 See Colquitt & Simmering, 1998; Richardson & Abraham, 2009; Roberts et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2005; Roberts et al., 2009 3 Trautwein, 2007; Trautwein & Lüdtke, 2006; Trautwein & Lüdtke, 2009 4 Duckworth, 2006; Duckworth, 2007; Duckworth 2011 5 See Ryans, 1939; Feather, 1962; Eisenberger, 1992 6 Diamond & Lee, 2011 7 Hunter & Baker, 1987 8 Bandura, 1986
Academic diligence refers to the effort put forth by students to achieve and includes an important group
of behaviors (e.g., time spent on homework, task completion, etc.) necessary for students to attain a
high level of academic achievement.
Influencing factors of academic diligence
Research in primary, secondary, and higher education settings has shown that academic diligence may
be associated with diverse factors, such as:
• The school and its environment
o Educators’ shaping students’ attitudes toward their academic responsibilities
o Engagement in purposeful activities
o Teacher quality improvement (e.g., increasing confidence and self-‐esteem)
o Including all students in its efforts to succeed (paying close attention to minorities)
• The home and family:
o Parental affective support (i.e., praise and encouragement)
o Parents’ expectations
o Socioeconomic status
• Students’ beliefs and actions
o Self-‐efficacy
o Locus of control
How can we promote academic diligence?
An effort in promoting academic diligence must include strategies that address contextual factors in the
learning environment and fundamental psychological resources within the student. These are some
strategies that K-‐12 educators can implement in order to promote academic diligence in schools9:
9 See Shechtman et al., 2013
• Implement school readiness programs that address executive functions: This approach includes
training with games, aerobic exercise and sports, martial arts and mindfulness practices, and
classroom curricula and teacher professional development.
• Implement interventions that address mindsets, learning strategies, and resilience: Academic
mindsets are the psycho-‐social attitudes or beliefs one has about oneself in relation to academic
work. Positive mindsets motivate students to persist at schoolwork, which manifests itself through
better academic behaviors, which lead to improved performance. Effective learning strategies allow
students to leverage academic behaviors to maximize learning. These include strategies to help
students recall facts; strategies for monitoring one’s own comprehension; and, strategies to self-‐
correct when one detects confusion or errors in one’s thinking. They can also include goal-‐setting
and time management.
• Consider alternative school models and school-‐level reform approaches: Character education models
include explicit articulation of learning goals for targeted competencies, clear and regular
assessment and feedback of student progress, and intensive teacher professional development.
Project-‐based learning and design thinking models help students develop competencies through
engagement in long-‐term, challenging, and/or real world problems. Organizations may also be able
to provide support for schoolwide improvement (e.g., teacher professional development, networks
of school communities, and strategies to improve school organizational structure).
• Explore informal learning programs: These programs provide various kinds of support for diligence
(e.g., academic support, community involvement, college guidance, etc.)
• Utilize digital learning environments, online resources, and tools for educators: Digital learning
environments can provide optimal challenges, help teachers promote a rigorous and supportive
classroom climate, teach about academic mindsets, and promote learning strategies.
Recommended Web-‐Sites / Blogs
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/true-‐grit-‐measure-‐teach-‐success-‐vicki-‐davis
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/growth-‐mindset-‐driving-‐philosophy-‐david-‐hochheiser
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/focus-‐process-‐results-‐will-‐follow-‐nathan-‐barber
Recommended Books
Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed. London, UK: Harper Collins Publishers.
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House Inc.
Ricci, M. C., & Stephens, J.M. (2013). Mindsets in the classroom: Building a culture of success and student
achievement in schools. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.
Hoerr, T. R. (2013). Fostering grit: How do I prepare my students for the real world? Danvers, MA: ASCD.
References
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