Getting gritty with it

In this study, the researchers argue that ‘grit’ could be a better way of predicting academic success than pupils’ intelligence. They define grit as a set of qualities such as determination, courage and persistence, and challenge the belief that displaying grit “goes hand-in-hand with unhealthy behaviours such as sacrificing sleep or adopting poor eating habits in a quest for achievement".

Quite contrary to this belief, the research found that such determined pupils were more likely to be well balanced with healthy lifestyles. Having grit, they found, did not require pupils pushing themselves at all costs, but rather cultivating healthy emotional regulation skills and effective learning strategies.

Wellington College Research Centre has been working with researchers from Harvard to look at pupil self-perception, specifically around the areas of growth mindset and grit. This is the first working paper on its findings.