The case for Positive Education
10 Dec 2014 | James O’Shaughnessy and Emily Larson
The new International Positive Education Network is
encouraging a shift in education priorities. But what does this
mean in practice? James O'Shaughnessy and Emily Larson explain.
"Work hard, be nice"
No phrase more succinctly captures the idea behind positive
education than KIPP
Schools famous motto. Its power comes from expressing something
that every teacher and parent wants for young people: academic
excellence achieved through outstanding teaching and dogged
determination; and, an induction into the world of character
virtue, service to others and the pursuit of happiness.
This 'academics + character' approach is the essence of positive
education, and its deep popularity with parents and practitioners
is its greatest strength. As the Jubilee
Centre for Character and Virtues found, nearly 9-in-10 parents
want schools to offer this kind of education. [1]
However, as Copernicus showed it is perfectly possible for popular
ideas to be proved wrong. So while widespread support is necessary
to the success of the positive education movement, on its own it is
not sufficient. We need to be demonstrably right too,
philosophically and scientifically.
Unless we can show that the arguments for positive education are
true in practice, as well as in theory, then we will not deserve to
change education in the way that our new International Positive Education Network (IPEN)
is proposing.
This blog tries to answer some of the most burning questions
with the strongest evidence currently available to support our
proposition. Its structure is based on the kind of questions we
tend to experience when discussing positive education with an
interested but sceptical audience.
Question one: What is positive education? What do you
mean?
Positive education represents a paradigm shift: away from viewing
education merely as a route to academic attainment, towards viewing
it as a place where students can cultivate their intellectual minds
while developing a broad set of character strengths and virtues and
wellbeing. This in a nutshell is the 'character + academics'
approach to education.
Question two: I recently read in the news that school test
scores are declining. Shouldn't we be directing our attention to
academic success rather than taking time away for building
character?
This question represents our tendency look at character
development and academic achievement as two separate entities, but
this is a false dichotomy. We wholly support rigorous academic
study in school and the achievement of the highest possible
standards. Too often these are lacking in schools, usually causing
the greatest harm to the poorest.
Positive education rests on the premise that teaching skills that
promote positive emotions, relationships, and character strengths
and virtues also promotes learning and academic success. [2] So it
is important to argue that, aside from its own intrinsic value and
the wider benefits it brings, educating for character and wellbeing
can help the quest for academic excellence. [3],[4]
School interventions that focus on social emotional learning,
character development or wellbeing have been shown to increase
academic performance as an outcome. [5],[6] A report by Public
Health England has shown that an 11% boost in results in
standardised achievement tests has been linked to school programmes
that directly improve pupils' social and emotional learning.
[7]
Further evidence suggests that positive educational
interventions have been found to increase facets of the student
experience that contribute to academic success such as:
- Hope [8],[9],[10]
- Engagement in school [11],[12]
- Academic expectations [13]
- Motivation [14],[15]
- Perceptions of ability [16]
- Life satisfaction [17],[18]
- Self-worth [19]
- Classroom behaviour [20]
In separating mental health and wellbeing from academic
achievement we are ignoring the fact that depression has been on
the rise since World War II despite increasing national wealth,
[21],[22] and even worse, almost one in five will experience a
major depressive episode before graduating from high school.
[23]
This is deeply worrying in itself, but it directly impacts
academic achievement too. Adolescents who experience poor mental
health at ages 16 to 17 have been found to be less likely to obtain
higher education degrees than adolescents without such challenges,
suggesting that mental health problems during secondary school have
lasting implications for achievement later on in life.
[24],[25]
Question three: But isn't IQ what matters and that really
depends on students parents, so why waste time on building these
other skills?
The raw intelligence of an individual is an important determinant
of future success and wellbeing but it isn't the only thing that
matters. Research by Angela Duckworth has shown that the character
trait called 'grit', or passion and perseverance for a long-term
goal, is a better predictor of some success outcomes than IQ. [26]
And James Heckman has show that character traits are malleable or
'skill-like' and can be improved with good teaching and
practice.[27]
In a meta-analysis of positive education interventions,
researcher Lea Waters found that interventions targeting students'
character can indeed lead to development of character strengths.
[28] So even if our characters and IQs are partially
determined by genes and upbringing, then there is still plenty of
room for improvement.
Question four: Aren't students meant to get these skills
at home?
"Just because character can be taught, doesn't mean it should be
taught in schools."
At face value this is a valid argument, and it's undoubtedly the
case that parents, families and even religious organisations can be
more important character educators than schools. But not every
child is exposed to good influences at home, and for those young
people the experience of character education at school is
vital.
About 50% of students in the US are exposed to violence every
year, and 10% witness violence between family members at home. [29]
In addition, the 20% of students under 18 who live in poverty are
more likely to experience violence, abuse, and neglect at home.
[30]
So if not at home, where? Next to home, school is the place
students spend most of their time. It has been estimated that youth
spend on average more than 30 hours a week at school. [31] Schools
and other educational institutions, like colleges and universities,
have the unique potential to help disadvantaged students prepare
for the tests of life, not just a life of tests. [32]
Question five: What about the children in poor areas?
Don't they need all the time they can get for traditional academic
skills like math and science?
We strongly favour rigorous, stretching academic development as an
essential route out of poverty. But on its own it is not enough.
Carol Dweck has popularised a construct called the 'Growth
Mindset', which is the belief that intelligence is malleable and
can be changed through hard work and perseverance. It stands
opposed to the 'Fixed Mindset', which is the belief that
intelligence is inherited and cannot be changed. [33]
Blackwell, Trzesniewski, and Dweck supported this research in
their study, which found during difficult transition periods at
school, students who have a growth mindset displayed superior
academic performance even though the students entered with equal
skills and knowledge. [34]
Additional research has found this effect was especially
prominent in students who have a stereotype against them, such as
being female or from a minority. [35],[36],[37]
A note of caution must be sounded, however. Impressive as these
results are, Dweck and her fellow authors note that, "believing
intelligence to be malleable does not imply that everyone has
exactly the same potential in every domain, or will learn
everything with equal ease.
Rather, it means that for any given individual, intellectual
ability can always be further developed." [38] What this means is
that, like academic education, character education can make us
better version of ourselves, but it cannot change everything about
us.
Question six: Well, this is good in theory but what about
in practice? How can we really implement this kind of education?
After all, our teachers aren't trained
psychologists!
What does positive education look like in practice? On a national
level, schools in Bhutan and Singapore have adopted a positive
education model. In Bhutan, students who received positive
education increased their standardized test scores compared to the
control group. [39] The Singaporean Government has just introduced
a new Character and Citizenship Curriculum for all its schools.
[40]
The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) was developed by
researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and has been one of
the most extensively tests programs in positive education. The
results from 19 controlled studies of PRP found that compared to
control groups, students who received PRP: [41]
- Reduce and prevent symptoms of depression
- Reduce feelings of hopelessness and increased optimism
- Prevent clinical levels of depression and anxiety
- Reduce and prevents anxiety
- Reduce behavioural problems
In addition, schools such as St. Peters College and Geelong
Grammar School in Australia and Wellington College in the UK have
wholly implemented positive education in their schools, and are
continuing research its effects. KIPP, a charter school network in
the USA, has integrated character education and seen tremendous
success in getting low-income students into college.
And there are new schools and organizations contributing the
breadth of practice every day. These include Character Lab and the
Jubilee Centre, which are dedicated to introducing the best theory,
research and practice into schools and testing the outcomes.
In this short blog we have attempted to compile the best evidence
and support for positive education. If you have more to contribute
to this growing movement please
get in touch.
James O'Shaughnessy is Chair of IPEN and Managing Director of
Floreat Education. Emily E. Larson, M.A.P.P. is Head of Research
for IPEN.
References
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