Understand the phonenomenon of relative deprivation when applied to education

Adopted from the following great insight shared by Malcolm Gladwell from the book David and Goliath

The phenomenon of relative deprivation applied to education is called—appropriately enough—the “Big Fish–Little Pond Effect.” The more elite an educational institution is, the worse students feel about their own academic abilities. Students who would be at the top of their class at a good school can easily fall to the bottom of a really good school. Students who would feel that they have mastered a subject at a good school can have the feeling that they are falling farther and farther behind in a really good school. And that feeling—as subjective and ridiculous and irrational as it may be—matters. How you feel about your abilities—your academic “self-concept”—in the context of your classroom shapes your willingness to tackle challenges and finish difficult tasks. It’s a crucial element in your motivation and confidence.”

Don’t miss these tips!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Pile On Motivation

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading