How can psychological theory help to improve students achievement in school?
Many studies have investigated how to improve students’ achievement in school, but, the authors argue, these strategies are rarely derived from psychological theories. This paper reported the effects on students’ achievement and thinking skills of a teaching intervention strategy derived from a psychological theory of intelligence. Three large scale studies were conducted, involving altogether 1,300 middle and secondary school students, mostly from low socio-economic backgrounds. Students’ vocabulary and comprehension skills were compared through before and after tests in different curriculum areas over time. The students were taught in one of two different ways: conventional (memory-based) instruction and what the authors refer to as ‘triarchic’ (analytical, practical and creative) instruction. The research found that, by integrating the theory into the normal school curriculum, which involved minimal teacher training, psychological theory could successfully support to improvements in
