Effects of Failure: Alternative Explanations and Possible Implications
Is failure1 as devastating as popular opinion and humanist psychologist imply (Glasser, 1969)? Is there conclusive evidence to support the prevalent practice of minimizing the amount of failure students experience? Are the levels of success associated with the use of programmed materials, inflated grades, and mastery learning techniques ensuring optimum student motivation and cognitive development? A review of theories and research related to the effects of failure suggests that these are not naive questions and cannot be given simplistic answers. Rather, such a review leads one to conclude that educators who teach by the maxim, “Nothing succeeds like success,” at least sometimes may be doing students more harm than good.
Abstract Kindergarten children's behavior before, during, and after standardized achievement testing was explored through a qualitative study in two classrooms (n = 36). Simultaneously quantitative data were collected in one of the classrooms (n = 21) before and during the testing. Data were collected through observations in the classrooms, interviews with children and teachers, and audio and video taping of the children. For the quantitative component of the study, frequencies of stress behaviors were observed using a scan sampling method. Qualitative findings indicated an increase in behaviors reported to be stress related during the testing and a decrease in those behaviors following the testing. Copying and calling out answers during the testing were also observed frequently. Children also marked incorrect answers, but when interviewed after the test, could respond correctly. Quantitative results supported the qualitative with a statistically significant increase in the proportion of stress behaviors ...