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Angela Lee Duckworth's TED talk discusses that success in her students was not solely determined by IQ. Instead, she identified 'grit' - passion and perseverance for long-term goals - as a significant predictor of achievement. This conclusion was reinforced by her research in various challenging environments, including West Point Military Academy and the National Spelling Bee, where grit consistently emerged as a key determinant of success. Despite recognizing the importance of grit, she acknowledged the challenges in fostering it, suggesting the concept of 'growth mindset' as a potential solution. The speaker concluded by emphasizing the need for continued research on grit and its implications for education.
How does it apply to you?
Understanding the concept of 'grit' can be beneficial for educators, parents, and students. It can help educators develop strategies to foster grit in their students, enable parents to encourage grit in their children, and assist students in cultivating grit to succeed in their academic and personal lives.
Applied Learning to Developer Enablement
The concept of 'grit' can be applied to software development. Software development projects often involve long-term goals and require passion and perseverance. Developers need to stick with their tasks, day in and day out, for years to make the software a reality.
Developer Checklist Refined
Transition to Software Development
Understanding and Building Grit
Summary
Transition from Management Consulting to Teaching
At 27, the speaker transitioned from a demanding job in management consulting to a more challenging role as a seventh-grade math teacher in New York City public schools. This experience led her to observe that IQ wasn't the only factor differentiating her best and worst students. She noted that some of her top performers didn't necessarily have high IQ scores, while some of her smartest students weren't performing well.
The Importance of Grit in Education
The speaker concluded that understanding students and learning from a motivational and psychological perspective is crucial in education. She observed that the ability to learn quickly and easily wasn't the only determinant of success. She identified 'grit' - passion and perseverance for very long-term goals - as a significant predictor of success. Grit, she explains, involves sticking with your future, day in and day out, for years and working hard to make that future a reality.
Research on Grit
The speaker conducted research in various challenging settings, including West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, tough neighborhoods, and private companies. The goal was to determine who was successful and why. In all these contexts, 'grit' emerged as a significant predictor of success. Further research in the Chicago public schools showed that grittier students were significantly more likely to graduate.
The Challenge of Building Grit
Despite recognizing the importance of grit, the speaker acknowledges the challenges in understanding how to build it. She mentions that talent doesn't necessarily equate to grit, citing data showing that many talented individuals do not follow through on their commitments. She suggests the concept of 'growth mindset' - the belief that the ability to learn can change with effort - as a good approach to building grit.
Future Work on Grit
The speaker concludes by emphasizing the need for continued research and testing of ideas to better understand how to build grit in students. She advocates for a willingness to fail, learn from mistakes, and start over, effectively encouraging a gritty approach to making students grittier.
FAQs
What led the speaker to transition from management consulting to teaching? The speaker transitioned from a demanding job in management consulting to a more challenging role as a seventh-grade math teacher in New York City public schools at the age of 27.
What observation did the speaker make about her students' performance and IQ? The speaker observed that IQ wasn't the only factor differentiating her best and worst students. She noted that some of her top performers didn't necessarily have high IQ scores, while some of her smartest students weren't performing well.
What does the speaker identify as a significant predictor of success in education? The speaker identified 'grit' - passion and perseverance for very long-term goals - as a significant predictor of success. Grit involves sticking with your future, day in and day out, for years and working hard to make that future a reality.
Where did the speaker conduct research on 'grit'? The speaker conducted research in various challenging settings, including West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, tough neighborhoods, and private companies.
What challenge does the speaker acknowledge about building 'grit'? Despite recognizing the importance of grit, the speaker acknowledges the challenges in understanding how to build it. She mentions that talent doesn't necessarily equate to grit.
What approach does the speaker suggest for building 'grit'? The speaker suggests the concept of 'growth mindset' - the belief that the ability to learn can change with effort - as a good approach to building grit.
What does the speaker emphasize for future work on 'grit'? The speaker emphasizes the need for continued research and testing of ideas to better understand how to build grit in students. She advocates for a willingness to fail, learn from mistakes, and start over, effectively encouraging a gritty approach to making students grittier.
