Develop perseverance indirectly by shaping classroom context, mindsets, and learning strategies rather than targeting grit directly¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Because direct grit interventions lack evidentiary support, the review recommends teachers build perseverance indirectly: "all students are more likely to demonstrate perseverance if the school or classroom context helps them develop positive mindsets and effective learning strategies." Teachers should attend to academic mindsets and develop students' metacognitive and self-regulatory skills rather than trying to change innate tendencies to persevere. This approach is highlighted as especially important across the middle-to-high-school and college transitions.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers need concrete strategies for creating classrooms that promote positive academic mindsets and build metacognitive and self-regulatory skills

Constraints¶

• The review notes especially limited direct evidence on changing grit, and that transition periods (middle to high school, high school to college) make this work most critical

Target Learners¶

• Adolescents, particularly during transitions into high school and college

Target Learning Goals¶

• Academic perseverance, academic behaviors, and course performance

Affordances¶

• Noncognitive Factors Hypothesized Model

Related Strategies¶

• Four Academic Mindsets
• Cultivate positive academic mindsets through instructional practices aligned with students' psychological needs
• Classroom strategies for developing student psycho-social supports and academic mindsets

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., & Beechum, N.O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become learners. The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/teaching-adolescents-become-learners-role-noncognitive-factors-shaping-school