The problem with praising students is the effect on the students' self esteem. Students complete tasks every day, with each lesson, and subject. If a student receives praise after tasks that don't challenge the student, than the praise can negatively effect the student for thinking that he isn't smart enough to complete the assignment. Praise must be given in the correct context, so it motivates a student in the best way it can. Therefore, more challenging assignments that a student completes should receive praise for trial or completion because it reinforces trying to complete is and going the extra steps. In the article, there is a study described where praise was given to students on their intelligence, effort and performance. Students praised for intelligence chose not to complete the harder tasks and also were left wondering if they were smart or not. The students praised for their effort wanted to try the challenging tasks, and wanted to keep practicing them at home. In sum, praise can be detrimental if it revolves around intelligence because if one fails, the failure becomes personal, and then internally, the student is affected.
Students who are obsessed with proving their intelligence will do anything to show their smartness. The student will take a negative situation, and make it about him being smart, and saying he will cheat on the next exam. These types of students won't feel they have to make an effort for they are already smart, and don't need to practice to be smart.
As a teacher, according to the Dweck article, praise should be given with regards to having our students reach their goals, and show their maximum potential. We should teach them that challenges are valuable, and that learning from these challenges is more important than showing academic excellence. Also, we should help our students to concentrate on making an effort, because making an effort helps one to learn, and doesn't focus on grades and numbers. Effort is needed to be successful no matter one's aptitude and teachers must help students to put effort into their work everyday.
You say that praising intelligence makes failure 'personal', but I think it's also important to see that intelligence is something typically considered something internal and uncontrollable. Praising it might make students feel helpless because it's not something they can easily change, like effort level.
ReplyDeleteThe point above is shown in your example that a student who believes he's smart won't need to try anymore--because if he believes he's intelligent, and that's a stable quality, there's no need to try. Another way of describing a similar situation would be to describe a child as having a performance orientation. If the child wants to appear smarter THAN EVERYONE ELSE, they'd be terrified to take risks, be creative, to try, and learn from their mistakes.