How Teens Benefit From Reading About the Struggles of Scientists

Good morning,

Today we are sharing an article from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift  entitled 'How Teens Benefit From Reading About the Struggles of Scientists.'  We often see teens come in who are struggling with science and are looking for not only guidance, but an underlying sense of motivation that they can succeed as well. This is not an uncommon idea for junior high and high school students today.

"What kind of people can become scientists?  When a group of researchers posed that question to ninth- and 10th-graders, almost every student gave empowering responses, such as “People who work hard” or “Anyone who seems interested in the field of science.”

But despite these generalized beliefs, many of these same students struggled to imagine themselves as scientists, citing concerns such as “I’m not good at science” and “Even if I work hard, I will not do well.”

It’s understandable that students might find imagining themselves as scientists a stretch — great achievements in science get far more attention than the failed experiments, so it’s easy to see a scientist’s work as stemming from an innate talent. Additionally, several science fields have a long way to go to be more inclusive of women and underrepresented minorities.  

But for high school students, learning more about some of the personal and intellectual struggles of scientists can help students feel more motivated to learn science. Researchers at Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Washington designed an intervention to “confront students’ beliefs that scientific achievement reflects ability rather than effort by exposing students to stories of how accomplished scientists struggled and overcame challenges in their scientific endeavors.”

To continue reading this article and find out what helped these students better relate to science, click: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/05/10/how-teens-benefit-from-reading-about-the-struggles-of-scientists/

If your child is struggling with science, math or another subject and needs help, please contact us today! We have individual and group sessions to help get your child confidently learning and back on track. Visit our Linder Educational Coaching website here: http://www.lindereducationalcoaching.com/