Student Motivation and Academic Success

Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck has been studying student motivation for three decades and has found that students who doubt their academic abilities or question whether students with their particular backgrounds belong at their schools frequently fall behind or fail at school.

One way to help students overcome these psychological barriers and achieve their academic potential is to give them feedback from their teachers that signals their commitment to helping them succeed.

In a study recently published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, David Yeager and Geoffrey Cohen found that white students who received a note from their teachers saying "I'm giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know you can reach them" revised their essays more than students who received a note saying "I'm giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know you can reach them."

The findings of this study suggest that teachers can help motivate students of all races by demonstrating their commitment to helping them achieve their academic goals.