What it takes to get ahead

Chen says the best outcomes combine both teacher-directed and inquiry-based methods.

GLOBALLY, 70% of education reform efforts have failed in the last 25 years. Despite an increase in spending, outcomes have either been flat, or declining. The worrying trend has led a consulting firm to publish ‘The Drivers of Student Performance: Insights from Asia’ report recently.

McKinsey & Company partner Li-Kai Chen said the report which focuses on the factors that drive student outcomes, showed consistent findings across the region. The report is unique, he says, because it applies machine learning and advanced analytics to huge data sets from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which covers over half a million students in 72 countries. Chen speaks to StarEducate on the main highlights of the report.

Mindsets matter

Student mindset, which is about one’s outlook on life, and how that translates to behaviour, is the most predictive factor of outcomes. It has double the effect of socio-economic background on outcomes, says Chen.

The most critical mindsets are motivation calibration, and growth mindset.

Motivation calibration is about behaviours that signify motivation. These include always finishing what you start, delivering on your promises, and exceeding expectations.

“Motivation calibration is more impactful than intrinsic motivation. If a student says he or she is motivated and wants to be the best, this doesn’t necessarily drive outcome. It’s the student who understands what motivation means in day-to-day behaviour who will get ahead.”

Growth mindset, he adds, is about whether a student believes that hardwork can lead to positive results. It’s about effort and improvement. He feels it’s important to acknowledge hardwork and the journey as opposed to the intrinsic like intelligence and looks.

“As a parent, are you rewarding effort or success? Do we celebrate the best schools or schools that show the most improvement? If a child does well, do you congratulate him for being smart, or for being hardworking?”

In Malaysia’s poor performing schools, having well-calibrated motivation and growth mindset allow students from the lower socio-economic group to outperform their more privileged counterparts.

“The biggest determinants of student outcome is the mindset of the individual. This means that a child with a strong mindset can outperform a child with a weaker mindset despite coming from a lower socio-economic group.

“It’s very difficult to change the socio-economic conditions of students but if we can change their mindset, they can do really well.”

Unfortunately, most students from the lower socio-economic background don’t believe that if they work harder, things will change for the better, he notes.

The mindset and behaviour of children are very important because that determines how they act, and view life. Why do 60% to 70% of our students feel that working hard won’t make a difference? Is it because they’ve been constantly told that they’re not intelligent, or that they’re delinquents who would never amount to anything in life? Be careful because those messages stick, he warns.

“An education system that scales up mindset interventions to improve student outcome will be more successful. And, it doesn’t require huge investments.”

 

 

Let teachers lead

The best outcomes, explains Chen, combine both teacher-directed and inquiry-based methods. The teacher-directed method means that discussions in class are teacher-led. For example, the teacher demonstrates a science experiment. Inquiry-based refers to student-directed learning where the students take the initiative and play a more active role - for example, designing an experiment.

If lessons are fully inquiry-based with no teacher-direction, the results will be negative.

“The inquiry-based method is tough because the teacher would have to manage chaos without stepping in. There needs to be very high quality teaching, prep work, and teacher-training, for that to be successful. If teachers aren’t equipped, this method won’t deliver results. And for students to benefit from inquiry learning, they must have a strong foundation.”

Tech-teaching

With a limited budget, the question of whether to invest in the teacher or student, is vital. The impact would be greater if tech investments were made for teachers instead of students.

“Investing, for example, in a computer for the teacher, will have a bigger effect than if you were to give every child a computer,” Chen says, pointing out that technology yields more benefit if it’s in the hands of teachers.

Quality counts

The earlier you start school, the better the outcomes. But this isn’t necessarily true for students from lower economic backgrounds, Chen warns.

It’s not just about access to pre-school and early child care. It’s about quality too.

“In many regions, if you start too early, the outcomes are worse. So the quality of pre-school education is vital. If the education quality is poor, sending kids early could lead to lower outcome than if you were to send them late.”

It’s not just about getting children into seats, it’s about getting them into quality seats, he stresses.