In response to the newest study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins, schools have taken steps to ensure that students stop studying. According to this study, studying before tests prevents students from executing their best work.
Researchers took a group of two hundred ninth-grade students and assessed them on various topics. Group A took part in two weeks of intensive classes where they learned the material that would be on the assessment. In addition, students in this group were required to review the topics when they returned home. Group B was prohibited from reviewing the material in any way and was removed from school during this two week trial. The test was eight hours long and quizzed students on topics including Physics, Calculus, World History, Chemistry, Medieval Literature, German, Latin, Biology, Music Theory, and more.
Group A, which prepared extensively for this exam, earned the average score of 82.7%, whereas Group B, which did not prepare, received a 98.5% average, some students even receiving a perfect score. Researchers concluded, “When a child relies on their intuition, they are more adept at using critical thinking skills, better preparing them for adulthood. Therefore, schools should emphasize the importance of self-confidence and encourage a zero-at-home-work policy for students aged 4-22” (Smith).
Due to these eye-opening discoveries, many teachers have stopped instructing their students to study for assessments. However, some students have protested, claiming studying helps them succeed. Teachers are going to great lengths to teach these misguided students proper learning methods, but students continue to fight back, necessitating intervention. One Minnesota teacher, Mrs. Larson asserted, “I do not give any form of homework, and I don’t allow my students to bring their books home with them, for it would encourage them to study. While they may have access to materials at home, it is my hope that parents ensure their children are making the right decisions… Support must come from outside of the classroom as well” (nbc.com). Many teachers have centered their courses around the idea that as long as a student has confidence, they “are always right, no matter what” (cnn.com). Teachers who have employed this ground-breaking teaching style have already seen positive results in their classrooms, for with the proper amount of confidence, any student can receive a perfect score. One English teacher at Willow High School in Massachusetts has begun to change her teaching approach in other ways. Ms. Wilson states, “I have told [my students] they should not participate in class…. It is called ‘the right to remain silent.’ It is crucial that people exercise their constitutional rights, and it is especially important to start at a young age!” (cnn.com). Despite pushback from the younger generation, several steps have already been made in the right direction, and the future of the American school system is brighter than ever.
