For the better part of a century — roughly as long as the concept of the teenager has existed — parents and educators have agonized over how to reach adolescents. Stereotyped as indifferent to schoolwork and alienated at home, they have often confounded the adult world’s efforts to transform them into productive citizens.
Today, new research from the Fordham Institute brings welcome news: Though their interests are piqued by different methods in the classroom, most want to learn and are willing to work hard to do so.
Surveying 2,000 public and private school students between 10th and 12th grades in 2016, Fordham’s study (financed in part by the American Federation for Children, then under the leadership of now–Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos) quizzed participants on a range of factors including engagement at school, relationships with peers and teachers, and participation in class.
Using a tactic common in marketing, the researchers segmented respondents into six categories based on their responses: STEM-focused Subject Lovers, highly motivated Hand Raisers, introverted Emotionals, convivial Social Butterflies, guidance-seeking Teacher Responders, and independent-minded Deep Thinkers. In this, the report is both a companion and a spiritual sequel to Fordham’s 2013 national survey of K-12 parents.
Source: The 74
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