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Intelligence Is 60% Genetic
This draws out the tutoring and teaching consequences of recent research.
Date : 10/11/2015
Author Information
Uploaded by : David
Uploaded on : 10/11/2015
Subject : English
But what are the practical consequences: Here are my ideas, from a teacher's viewpoint. Please let me hear yours.
1. It is a lot harder for some children to learn than others. I need to remember this and discover the best way in which each child learns. 2. It is not all about potty-training and reading to your children, though the right environment helps. Parents can do a lot but should not worry unduly because their efforts are a small part of the intellectual development of their child. Enjoy whatever the genes have given you. Tiger Mums watch out!! 3. Qualifications like GCSE or A level test a limited range of intellectual skills. Colleges and Universities need to have a way of measuring potential. Public exams -GCSE and A levels - are the least bad option at the moment for discovering this. 4. Questions in exams should not be of the kind for which learning how to answer the question plays a big part in what goes on in the classroom. It falsifies results. For example, a student of English Literature is often taught to write using paragraphs which follow this structure: Point + Evidence (a quotation) followed by an explanation of how the quotation proves the original point and links to other aspects of the text. This is an excellent thinking skill to learn and applies to other subjects very effectively. But a student not taught this method may have a much better grasp of the meaning of a text and yet achieve a lower grade in the exam.
5. Setting by ability in schools: selection by intelligence tests can lead to more relevant classroom teaching geared to the ability of each student grouped with intellectual equals. So no need for boredom at one extreme or loss of confidence through not understanding the lesson at the other. Streaming is good for the quality of intellectual learning. But what about social skills? We all need to learn to work with others recognising their contribution which may not be intellectual. Is this an overriding consideration in the classroom? I don't think so.
6. Common Entrance: It is said that anyone can improve their mark in Verbal Reasoning Tests and Non Verbal reasoning by getting familiar with the kind of questions set. This is almost certainly true. But they still offer a good basic - if slightly unreliable - guide to a student's potential. Especially if you allow a 20% margin of error or know how far the student has been coached for the test. In my experience they are much less reliable on children under the age of about 11. I think this is because they are more the victim of moods, ability to concentrate, tiredness, distractions and general attitude to the process.
This resource was uploaded by: David