At one English secondary school, 120 Year 10 pupils take part in a one-term change to feedback in science lessons. Teachers stop using person praise, such as "you are very clever", and instead praise pupils' effort and strategies. All 120 pupils experience the change, with no comparison group.
The school records the following results immediately before and at the end of the term.
| Measure | Before the change | End of the term |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils choosing an optional challenging question | 32% | 57% |
| Mean score on matched science assessments | 58% | 64% |
The headteacher concludes that the change in feedback caused greater motivation and achievement, and would have the same effect in every school subject and age group.
Using your knowledge of Blackwell et al. (2007), explain what the findings suggest and how far the evidence justifies the headteacher's conclusion.
104 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 2.2 Theories/Explanations, covering 2.2.1 Piaget's four invariant stages, 2.2.2 Assimilation and accommodation, 2.2.3 Object permanence, animism, egocentrism, 2.2.4 Decentration, reversibility, conservation; criticisms, 2.2.5 Cognitive Development research study: Piaget (1952), 2.2.6 Dweck's fixed and growth mindsets, 2.2.7 Willingham's learning styles and meaning; criticisms, and 2.2.8 Learning research study: Blackwell et al. (2007). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.