AmyChapman

EssaySet1
CEP910
21February2015

4.Attributiontheoryoffersmanydifferentwaysinwhichpeopleinterpretthesame
event.Becauseofthis,studentsmayhavecompletelydifferentresponsestosuccessorfailure.
Inthinkingaboutwhattypeoffeedbacktooffertostudents,andspecificallywhattypeof
feedbackwouldbethemosthelpful,itisdifficulttospecifyonewayofapproachingthat
feedbackthatwoulduniversallyworkforallstudents.Therefore,itwouldbebest,ifpossible,to
workonacasebycasebasiswithstudents,analyzingtheirattributionsinordertoprovidethe
mostconstructivefeedbacktoeachone.
Attributiontheoryoffersexplanationsforhowstudents(andothers)understandsuccess
orfailure.Attributionsaretheassumedcausesofoutcomestheymaynotbetheactualcauseof
anyoutcome.However,thefactthatthepersonbelievesinthatcausecanhaveasignificant
impactonhowthatpersonreactsinthefuture.Theseattributionsalsovaryacrossindividuals.
Forinstance,Stipek&Gralinski(1991)foundthatgirlsaremorelikelytohaveinternal
attributionsforfailureandexternalattributionsforsuccesstheoppositeseemstobetruefor
boys.Inotherwords,girlsaremorelikelytobelievethattheirsuccessesareduetoforces
outsideoftheircontrolwhiletheirfailuresareduetoforceswithinthemselvesthanareboys.
Theseattributionscanhavesignificanteffectsonfutureendeavorsandonemotionalwellbeing.
Thisexampleofthedifferencesintheattributionsbetweenboysandgirlsisaprime
exampleofwhyfeedbacktostudentscannotbeuniversal.Inthatway,themosthelpfulfeedback
wouldbethefeedbackthatmeetsthestudentwheretheyareat,butwhichdoesnotleavethemin

thatsameplace.Forinstance,ifastudentfailedanexamandattributedthatfailuretoaninternal
cause,themosthelpfulfeedbackfromateachermightbetofirstidentifytheattribution(s)and
secondlytoprocesswiththestudentwhattheyactuallycouldhavedonetoachieveabettergrade
ontheexam.However,ifadifferentstudentdidwellontheexamandattributedthatsuccessto
theirhighability(internalcause),theconversationbetweentheteacherandstudentshouldnotbe
whatthestudentcandobetterbutwhatcreatedthesituationforthestudenttosucceed.Inother
words,thatsecondstudentshouldbeinvitedtoseethattheirotherqualitiesorexternalfactors
contributedtotheirsuccessontheexam.
AsIwritethis,Ifindmyselfonceagaintobesomesortofeducationidealist,whothinks
thatindividualattentiontostudentsisnotonlytherightcourseofactionbutalsopossible,even
inthefaceofthemanyhoursteachersalreadyspendoutsideoftheschoolday.Iamnotsure
howthiswouldworkinpractice,butitwouldseemthatthebenefitsofindividualstudentteacher
interactionstoprovidefeedbackonassessments(andperhapsotherareas,aswell)wouldbe
substantial.Giventheemotionalandexpectancyramificationsofattributions,itwouldseemto
betheprudentandsafethingtodotohaveindividualconversationsbetweenteachersand
studentstohavethekindofqualityinteractionthatprovidesthebesttypeoffeedbackforeach
individualstudentandsituation.Italsowouldseemtobeapartoflearninghowtodealwith
onesattributionsandlearnfromthem.
Insum,itwouldseemthatthebestfeedbackwhichwouldbemosthelpfultostudents
wouldbeindividualandonacasebycasebasisbetweenastudentandhis/herteacher.This
mannerofprovidingfeedbackwouldallowtheteachertoanalyzewherethestudentiswith

his/herattributions,andwouldalsosetthestudentuptoreceiveindividualizedfeedbackwhich
meetshis/herneedsbest.

5.Thequestionofwhetheritwouldbeagoodideaifteachersgavealloftheirstudents
Asiscertainlyacomplicatedone.Firstly,whateffectwouldthathaveontheexpectanciesand
emotionsofthestudentswhowouldperformwellanyway?Secondly,whateffectwouldsucha
gradingpolicyhaveonstudentswhoeitherexhibitlowabilityorloweffort,butareawardedAs
anyway?Thirdly,whateffectwouldgivingAstoallstudentshaveonthosestudentslaterin
life,inotherclasses,inworkenvironments,andacrossotherdomains?Whileitisdifficultto
predictthefuture,goodtheorycandirectusinwhateffectssuchagradingpolicywouldhaveon
differentstudents.
Firstly,forthestudentswhowouldsucceedregardlessofthegradingpolicyofteachers,
therearethosewhowouldattributetheirsuccesstointernalcauses,suchasability,andthose
whowouldattributetheirsuccesstoexternalcauses,suchaseffort.Fortheformergroup,these
studentswouldlikelybedisabusedoftheirideasthattheirsuccessisduetointernalcauses
becauseeveryoneintheclasswouldbegivenAs.Thismaylowertheirselfesteemand
selfworth,andinfactaltertheirselfconcept.Forthelattergroup,receivingAsregardlessof
theeffortputforthwouldlikelychangetheamountofeffortthatthosestudentsputforwardin
class.Ifloweffortproducestheresultsthathigheffortusedto,thequestionwouldbe:why
exertextraeffort?Whilethismaynotaffecttheselfworthorselfesteemofthesestudents
negatively,itmaybedetrimentalinthefuturewhentheyarenotlikelytoputforwardmuch
effortbecausetheyhavenotbeenpreviouslyencouragedtodoso.

Thinkingaboutstudentswhoarelesslikelytosucceedinclass,eitherduetolowerability
orlowereffort,therearedifferentramificationsforthemifteachersweretogiveAstoall
students.Studentswhobelievethattheyhavelowerabilitiesinclassmaybegintobelievein
theirabilitiesmorestronglyweretheytoconstantlyreceiveAsfortheirwork.Theymay
actuallydevelopstrongersensesofselfesteemandselfworthduringthetimethattheyare
receivingthehighergradeshowever,thisfeelingsmaydissipateoncethestudentbeginstostart
receivinggradesfortheworkthatisproducedinsteadofsimplyreceivinganA..Further,for
thosewhoexertlesseffort,consistentlyreceivingAsmayencouragestudentstobelievethat
theirdegreeofeffortissufficient.Withthatbelief,theymaycontinuetoexertloweffort,which
wouldhaveadetrimentaleffectwhentheyareinclasswithteacherswhodonotconsistently
giveAsorlaterinlifewhentheyareinothersituationswhichrequiremoreefforttobe
successful.
Thisisperhapsthemostimportantpointinthinkingabouttheramificationsofateacher
givingallofthestudentsAs:whathappensafterthatclassisoverandthestudentshavemoved
on?Inanotherclass,ajob,oranotherfuturedomain,studentswhoreceivedAssimplyfor
beingpresentinclassmayhavecometoapointofnothavingastrongsenseoftheirabilitiesor
whateffortmaybeneedtoachievetheresultsthataredesired.Further,theattributionswhichdo
comefromaclasswhichoffersAswithoutabilityoreffortmayaffectthestudentsselfworth
andselfesteem.Thoughtheseeffectsmaybepositive,theymayalsonotbepermanent,and
likelywillbequestionedwhenthestudentisinadifferentenvironment.Itwouldseem,
therefore,tobeadisservicetothestudentstogiveAsallthetime.