Children may perform better in school and feel more confident about themselves if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
“We focused on a widespread cultural belief that equates academic success with a high level of competence and failure with intellectual inferiority,” said Frédérique Autin, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Poitiers in Poitiers, France. “By being obsessed with success, students are afraid to fail, so they are reluctant to take difficult steps to master new material. Acknowledging that difficulty is a crucial part of learning could stop a vicious circle in which difficulty creates feelings of incompetence that in turn disrupts learning.”
The study showed that working memory capacity may be improved simply by boosting students’ confidence and reducing their fear of failure. Teachers and parents should emphasize children’s progress rather than focusing solely on grades and test scores. Learning takes time and each step in the process should be rewarded, especially at early stages when students most likely will experience failure.
Source: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/03/academic-pressure.aspx