Introduction
Ryan Harber
HLRN-325
Task
Even Einstein Struggled: Effects of Learning About Great Scientists’ Struggles on High School Students’ Motivation to Learn Science
Authors- Fu-Fen Anny Fang and Myra Luna-Lucero
https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/edu-edu0000092.pdf
Process
This journal article is correlational. In this study they took 402, 9 & 10th graders and read them 1 of 3 types of stories about eminent scientists that described how the scientists (a) struggled intellectually (e.g., made mistakes in investigating scientific problems, and overcame the mistakes through effort), (b) struggled in their personal life (e.g., suffered family poverty and lack of parental support but overcame it), or (c) made great discoveries (a control condition, similar to the instructional material that appears in many science textbooks, that did not describe any struggles). In their findings there was a more effect on the lower performing students. The stories of people struggling and overcoming this really resonated with the lower performing students. This gave them hope that they could overcome their challenges and prevail.
Conclusion
I think that this was a very interesting and i could resonate with this story. I was considered a low performing student growing up, and hearing stories such as Einstein really gave me hope growing up that i could overcome the struggles of dyslexia and ADHD. Even throughout college i have faced struggles, but i am finally nearing the end of my college career and will be graduating this semester. So even I myself hope to be somewhat of an inspiration to my students in the future that they can overcome anything with hard work. I think that this study is practical and yes it does seem valid.