Pygmalion Effect
I am a firm beleiver that you if think you are going to fail then you probably will. Sometimes students just need that instructor to see something positive within them. I never focus on the fsailing grade and the negative impact. I look at the positive things that the student has accomplished and work from a positive end.
Brian,
and the more that we can help our students see that they really can be successful the greater chance there will be of that success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have played with this concept in my class and i've seen its effects first hand. It is very important for teachers and instructors to guide their students to the end goal they want.
Mary,
it really does make an incredible difference to know that someone believes in us & thinks we can be successful.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I too know this to be true. I have been teaching for over 14 years. I have a 95% pass rate on state board testing of my students for all these years. I always believe that my students will do well and I let them know All The Time that I believe in their abilities. Now I don't lie to them. If they need to work harder, I let them know, but I always give positive reinforcement. Hence, since I am certain they will do well, most of them do very well on the tests!!!!
I actually didn't realize this...now i see that i may have UN-intentionally pre-determined my effectiveness as a facilitator with my learners..
I can see how this works .I have had students come through that have done poorly in other classes but with a little positive feed back and encouragment have done well in my class. I did not know it had a name now I will try harder to show support for all my students.
Darci,
yes, the more we can encourage our students & tell them how much we believe in them, the greater chance they will have of being successful.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I totally 100% believe in this system. I find that if I encourage my students and tell them that I know for a fact that they will pass an exam. They usually do. My students always say that I have a way of knowing a little bit about a lot of things, or so my students tell me. Because of this "wealth of knowledge" the students respect what I have to say and obviously are convinced that I have powers to see into the future and know that they are always going to pass the test!
Larry,
definitely true. The more posiitve we can be with our students, the greater chance we have of them being successful.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Larry,
definitely true. The more posiitve we can be with our students, the greater chance we have of them being successful.
Dr. Ryan Meers
This type of positive attitude is what I try to bring to class every day. If I am enthusiastic and amazed by the topic, my students tend to approach the material with that same expectation. I also want to incorporate more "backwards chaining". By presenting the destination first and how it relates to their future career, I hope get them more involved in each step of the journey. The individual lessons will make more sense if they know how it fits into the big picture. Maybe I can find a way to depict this as peripheral content so it is always present in the learning environment.
Negatives are detrimental to student learning and understanding. Positive attitudes help to motivate the negative students.
I was made aware of the Pygmalion Effect in the 6th Grade (didn't know the name, however). My teacher told the class of an experiment that was done during summer camp where a group of poorly performing students where given tests and course work that was evaluated and then given back with false assessments. The students were told that they were A and B level performers.
When the students returned to their regular schools for the fall semester they all performed as A students because they believed they were!
A positive attitude breeds a positive attitude. If you as the facilitator enjoy what you are doing, are enthusiastic about the topic, have fun with the lesson, and are excited to share the experience with you students, everyone will succeed. Your enthusiasm and excitement for the topic and the lesson will be contagious and your students will become enthusiastic and excited about the lesson and learning occurs.
Leslie,
yes, the more positive we can be about their potential, the greater the chance that they will be successful.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Like all things in life, we have the ability to succeed or fail based on what we believe. If you tell a student that you have doubts about them they will believe it, and same goes for the positive. We as teachers have to find there strengths and weaknesses,capitalize on there strengths and encourage them on there weknesses. This seems to work the best with all people, it gives them confidence and security.
I have been teaching for just one year now after 40 years in the field. I was immediately struck by the lack of self confidence in my students. Most of them have reached their twenties without developing a sense of their capabilities. Some appear to have never had any positive reinforcement, others have had unconditional positive reinforcement. It seems to have a huge impact to assign them a task which will test them while expressing confidence in their ability to master it. When they actually exert themselves and find success it increases their interest and retention exponentially.
I tell my student that they can really do anything as long as they keep a positive thought and really apply themselves to the subject matter and if by chance they manage to fail I tell them to take it as a learning experience and build off of it.
Always tell students that they can achieve the goals of the class through hard work and preparation. They are able and they can do it as long as they have a can do attitude. make them step up and do what they have to to be successful.
