A Comparative Research on Grades 3- 9 Children＇s Intelligence Theory Intervention
The soul of Dweck＇ s theory is the self theory about intelligence, which explains why individuals display approval or avoidance. Based on her research, Dweck indicated that individual＇s intelligence theory can be changed temporarily by intervention; thus the self theory is cultivable. Based on previous research findings on the development of children＇s self-awareness, the authors assumed that the same type of intervention will have different meanings for and special effects on children of different levels of self- awareness. This article aimed to explore cultivating approaches on the intelligence theory and their intervention effects on children of different ages. 885 students from Grades 3 to 9 participated in the current research. Data analysis found the micro changes of the intelligence theory hard to measure, so the change of goal orientation was used as an observable indicator of the intervention effects on subjects＇ intelligence theory. The experimental design included story reading and praise as intervention methods. Three types of stories were adopted, which respectively considered ability as ＂naturally gifted＂, ＂gained by effort＂ and neutral. Also, four types of verbal praise were used as the intervention, in which the participants were given positive feedbacks as being ＂intelligent＂, ＂diligent＂, ＂potential＂, or no feedback as a control condition. The changes of goal orientation were taken as effects of intervention. The effects of intervention on the participants of different grades were compared. The results of the experiment are as follows： Praise brought extensive promotions on the learning goal orientation in participants of Grade 3 and Grade 4, whatever positive feedback they got. The results of participants of Grade 5 displayed discriminating effects on praise was type, with boosted goal orientation of performance after ＂intelligent＂ praise compared with other three types of feedback. The ＂diligent＂ and ＂potential＂ praises obviously improved learning goal orientation from Grade 3 to Grade 6, but the promotion power weakened from Grade 7 to 9. Similar interaction between story types and grade levels on the intervention effects were also found, though the effect difference between the two types of story reading intervention was more notable than that of praise. The learning goal orientation improved more in participants from Grades 3 to 6 after reading the story that included concept of incremental intelligence compared with those from Grades 7 to 9. The performance goal orientation increased more after the participants from Grades 7 to 9 read the story containing the concept of entity intelligence. In a word, the results showed an interaction between the grade and intervention types on the changes of students＇ intelligence theory. It supported Dweck＇s viewpoint of temporarily changed intelligence by intervention. However, intervention effects varied among grades, which validated the current research assumption. As the author discovered in her previous research that the development of self awareness boosts in Grades 5, children could probably see their own abilities as relatively stable since then. Thus, it may be the reason why the intervention effect of the story emphasizing the incremental intelligence is weaker in participants from Grades 7 to 9 compared with those in lower grades.
Intelligence TheoryIntervention ApproachesSelf Development
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
维普
