Barriers to learning: exploring the relationship between year 5/6 pupils' attitudes towards intelligence and how they cope with challenge.
Rosanna Smith
(PGCE Primary, ) 2010-2011
Email: rosanna.smith@cantab.net
Abstract
Learning how to cope effectively with challenging situations and setbacks is an essential part of the educational process. We all face difficulties in life and learning yet some pupils respond to such circumstances by trying harder whilst others tend to give up. This research seeks to explore this difference by looking into the attitudes students hold concerning intelligence. Intelligence can be viewed as either a fixed trait, something you have a certain defined amount of, or as something malleable and capable of both growth and decline. In this study these two opposing views are explored, as is the relationship holding either view may have on how challenges are approached. The views of the participants in this study, pupils from year 5 and 6 classes, were initially ascertained using two questionnaires. A small focus group was then selected to undertake experimental tasks and interviews. Whilst marked differences in response to challenge did not arise, subtle differences were revealed that would benefit from further research conducted on a larger scale over a longer period of time.
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The full paper is available for download as a pdf file 287-326-smithr
Citation: Smith, R. (2012) .'Barriers to learning: exploring the relationship between year
5/6 pupils' attitudes towards intelligence and how they cope with challenge.' Journal of Trainee Teacher Educational Research, Volume 3, pp.287-326 (Downloaded from http://jotter.educ.cam.ac.uk/, [date of access])