The Promise of Non-Cognitive Factors: Basic Concepts and

EvidenceDiana Gruman, WWU

Mike Hubert, OPSIWashington School Counselor Association

Conference, Seattle February 2014

Objectives for Today

• Provide an overview of the latest research on noncognitive skills

• Define key concepts• Connect the findings on noncognitive skills to

school counseling practice• Provide a sample of our favorite resources to

learn more about the topic and potential interventions

Sources of Inspiration & Knowledge

We would like to acknowledge the following sources as the foundation of this presentation:

1. CCSR Literature Review (2012): “Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners.”

2. DOE-Office of Ed. Tech . Report (2013): “Promoting Grit, Tenacity and Perservance.”

3. Carol Dweck (2007): “Mindset.”4. Paul Tough (2012): “How Children Succeed.”

Making the Case

Posted: May 2013http://new.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit

Cognitive Factors

Cognitive: “Relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering).” (Merriam-Webster: m-w.com)– Some ways we measure cognitive skills:• Grasp of Content Knowledge• Writing Skills• Problem Solving Ability

Noncognitive Factors

Noncognitive: Attributes, dispositions, social skills, attitudes, and intrapersonal resources, independent of intellectual ability—that high-achieving individuals draw upon to accomplish success. (OET Report, 2013)

TURN AND TALK: What are the factors you are hearing and reading about??

What’s in a Name?

• Habits of Mind (Dewey, 1880-1940)• Natural Development (Montessori, 1910-50)• Internal Locus of Control (Rotter, 1954)• Self efficacy (Bandura, 1986)• Student Agency• Learner Attributes• Social-Emotional Learning• 21st Century Skills or Soft Skills• Character Education• Emotional Intelligence• Teaching the Whole Child

https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications

Five Categories of Noncognitive Factors:

• Academic Behaviors• Academic Perseverance• Academic Mindsets• Learning Strategies• Social Skills

Academic Performance

(Course Grades)

Socio-Cultural ContextSchool & Classroom Context

Academic Mindsets

Academic Perseverance

Academic Behaviors

Learning Strategies

Academic Performance

Social Skills

Can these skills be taught? Learned?

Research shows that some noncognitive factors can be shaped in all children:

• Academic Mindset- I can grow my ability and competence with effort

• Effortful Control—I can push through the “boring” stuff

• Strategies and Tactics—I can define my tasks, monitor progress and change course if needed

#1 Academic Behaviors

• Behaviors associated with being a “good student”– Regular attendance– Ready to engage the work– Participating in class discussions– Completing assignments

Connection to SC Practice

• Talk, Turn and Share

• What ways do school counselors play a role in improving the academic behaviors in students?

• Which ones of these methods are evidence-based?

#2 Learning Strategies

• The processes and tactics employed to aid in learning such as:– Study skills– Metacognitive strategies ( monitoring one’s own

comprehension)– Self-regulated learning ( ability to self correct)– Goal setting & time management

Connection to SC Practice

• Talk, Turn and Share

• What ways do school counselors play a role in improving the learning strategies in students?

• Which ones of these methods are evidence-based?

#3 Academic Mindsets

• Beliefs, attitudes, or ways of perceiving oneself in relation to learning– I belong in this academic community– My ability and competency grow with my effort– I can succeed at this– This work has value for me

Growth MindsetWhen faced with failure or challenge,

people with a GROWTH mindset:

• Pay attention to learning information, and so do better on future tests.

• Focus on what they are learning, rather than focusing on how they feel.

• Try out new ways of doing things.• Use self-motivating statements such as ‘The

harder it gets, the harder I try’.• When faced with tests which are impossible to

pass, they consider other factors rather than blaming their intellect (e.g. “This test was beyond my ability for now.

Growth-mindset thinking results in:

•a love for learning and self-improvement •a desire to be challenged •a willingness to work for positive results •a belief that you can control the outcomes in

your life with effort and practice •the ability to learn from mistakes and failures •emotional resilience

Fixed MindsetWhen faced with failure or challenge, people

with a FIXED mindset:

• Do not pay attention to learning information• Get depressed, lose self-esteem• Say to themselves ‘I am not smart.’• Under-represent past successes and over-

represent failures (I NEVER do things right)• Explain the cause of events as something

stable about them. (I am ALWAYS this way!)

Fixed-mindset thinking results in:

• a false sense of superiority, undermined by a deep sense of self-doubt

• a fear of failure; refusal to take risks • a feeling that failure permanently defines you as a

loser • the belief that only untalented, ungifted people

have to work for success; effort somehow reduces you

• a desire to blame others or outside circumstances when things don’t go your way

Academic Mindsets Evidence

• Sense of belonging– Learning is a social activity, constructed through interaction

• Belief of ability– Those that increase effort, display perseverance and

succeed• Self-efficacy– We engage in activities in which we feel confident

• Value– When activity is connected to our preferred future, we are

more likely to pursue it

Connection to SC Practice

• Talk, Turn and Share

• What ways do school counselors play a role in improving the growth mindsets in students?

• Which ones of these methods are evidence-based?

#4 Social Skills

• Interpersonal qualities such as:– Cooperation– Assertion– Responsibility– Empathy

Noncognitive Learning Skills

Background:

And are They Important? Teacher Beliefs about SEL

Workforce Readiness School Attendance & Graduation

Life Success College Preparation Academic Success50

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Positive Student Outcomes

Positive Student Outcomes

The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools - http://www.casel.org/library/the-missing-piece

Connection to SC Practice

• Talk, Turn and Share

• What ways do school counselors play a role in improving the social skills of students?

• Which ones of these methods are evidence-based?

#5 Academic Perseverance

• A student’s ability to remain focused and engaged in school work despite distractions, setbacks, or obstacles– Grit– Self-control– Tenacity– Delayed Gratification

Grit and Perseverance

Factors essential to an individual’s capacity to strive for and succeed at long-term and higher-order goals, and to persist in the face of the array of challenges and obstacles encountered throughout schooling and life (OET Report, 2013)

Academic Perseverance Evidence

• Perseverance is a trait that is not directly malleable.

• The evidence can be found in academic mindsets that encourage perseverance and the adoption of learning strategies

What type of learning environment promotes grit and perseverance?

1) Opportunities to take on appropriate challenges (in the child’s Zone of Prox. Devpt)

2) Rigorous and Supportive Environment:– Fair and respectful climate, conveys high

expectations,– Emphasizes effort over ability, and provides

necessary tangible resources—materials, human, and time.

Connection to SC Practice

• Talk, Turn and Share

• What ways do school counselors play a role in improving the perseverance of students?

• Which ones of these methods are evidence-based?

Teaching the Whole Child• Student-Centered Discipline• Teacher Language• Responsibility & Choice• Warmth & Support• Cooperative Learning• Classroom Discussions• Self-Reflection & Self- Assessment• Balanced Instruction• Academic Press and Expectations• Competency Building – Modeling, Practicing, Feedback, & CoachingCenter on Great Teaching and Learning at AIR January 2014 “Teaching the Whole Child: Instructional Practices That Support Social-

Emotional Learning in Three Teacher Evaluation Frameworks.” http://www.gtlcenter.org/

Barriers and Potential Solutions

Adverse Childhood Experiences• http://acestudy.org/• http://acestoohigh.com/Trauma Informed Schools• http://acestoohigh.com/2013/08/20/spokane

schools/Restorative Justice and School Discipline• https://aclu-wa.org/blog/restorative-disciplin

e-pays-suspensions-down-grades-behavior-improved

RESOURCESBOOKS

How Children Succeed, Paul Tough (2012)Mindset, Carol Dweck (2007)

WEBSITES-CASEL: http://www.casel.org/-Chicago/CCSR: csr.uchicago.edu/-Center for Great Teaching at AIR http://www.gtlcenter.org/

Growth Mindset Resources

Mary Cay Ricci (2013), “Mindsets in the Classroom.”

http://www.mindsetworks.com/free-resources/http://classteaching.wordpress.com/

2013/04/07/developing-a-growth-mindset/http://ams.auburnschl.edu/pages/AuburnMS/

CORE/Additional_CORE_Activities/Mindset_Activities

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." - Martin Luther King, Jr.