Telling Black students that criticism means high standards helped them improve

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   164 students took part in three studies at US schools, 76 of them high-school students in New York aged 14 to 18. The other 88 were seventh graders, about 12 to 13 years old, half African American and half White.

2. 02

   What they did

   In two studies, a teacher's essay feedback came with a note saying the teacher had high standards. The other group got the same feedback alone. The third study used three peer testimonials about high standards, then imagined feedback on an essay, in one short online session.

3. 03

   What happened

   Black students given the high-standards note revised their essays more often: 64% against 27%. Their essays were also marked higher, and their grades rose by about a third of a grade point over a semester. Courses with a D or lower fell from 43% to 23%, while White students showed no clear effect.

What the study found

1. Helped

   A high-standards note helped Black students revise more often than criticism alone; White students showed no clear difference.

   Randomised trial of 164 US school students, Black and White · vs students who got criticism alone · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished

2. Helped

   Teachers scored Black students' revised essays higher when they got the high-standards note; White students showed no clear difference.

   Randomised trial of 164 US school students, Black and White · vs students who got criticism alone · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished

3. Helped

   Over a semester, Black students taught that criticism shows high standards got better grades.

   • Action: Read about someone facing the same problemtested
   • Action: Challenge unhelpful thoughtstested

   Randomised trial of 164 US school students, Black and White · vs students who got placebo stories or puzzles · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished

Source