US Education Lag Attributed To Focus On Intelligence Rather Than Hard Work

Educator and author Jonathan Zimmerman writes in the Christian Science Monitor (12/15) that "a standardized test administered to 15-year-olds in over 60 countries," in which "the US came in 17th in reading, 23rd in science, and 31st in math," is being frequently cited as an indicator that something is wrong with the US education system. "There's something to that," Zimmerman writes. "But there's more to it than that. Put simply, Asians believe that hard work is the prime determinant of their success. By contrast, Americans and other Westerners typically ascribe academic performance to innate ability." He cites a study which found that students praised for being "smart" did worse on a test than students praised for being "hard working." Zimmerman writes, "The moral of these stories seems clear: If you want kids to succeed, don't talk about their intelligence." Instead, he argues, encourage them to work hard.