What affects children’s motivation to work hard?
Children are less motivated when they think they have to work harder than their peers
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Two third graders, Eleanor and David, have just earned perfect scores on a national math exam. How did they get so good at math? Eleanor’s and David’s parents and teachers likely think that Eleanor works really, really hard, whereas David is naturally talented. But why?
Adults tend to believe that girls and women succeed in math and science because they work hard and put in a great deal of effort, whereas boys and men succeed because they are naturally talented. These beliefs, in turn, can contribute to persistent gender gaps and disparities. Women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduate programs who believe that they need to work harder than others to succeed also tend to suspect that they don’t belong in their fields and are less motivated to stay. Because of the potential negative effects of these beliefs about hard work, it is important to know when they develop so we can combat them.
Do children think girls have to work harder than boys to succeed?
If children—like adults—believe that girls have to work harder than boys to be good at math, girls may be less likely to pursue careers in math, reinforcing broader patterns of societal inequity, like women’s underrepresentation in STEM professions. These beliefs could also shape social dynamics between children at school: If Eleanor works really hard on a math assignment in class, her efforts may be viewed by other students not just as a sign of conscientiousness or of being a good student, but also as evidence that Eleanor has to work hard because she lacks natural ability in math. We wanted to understand how children think about hard work and success and whether these beliefs affect their motivation in school.
“We wanted to understand how children think about hard work and success and whether these beliefs affect their motivation in school.”
In our recent study, we asked a sample of 6- to 12-year-old children how hard girls and boys have to work to be good at math and reading. We expected their ideas about math to differ from their ideas about reading because children tend to think that girls are better at reading than boys.
We were surprised to find that younger children, aged 6-9, did not hold the same beliefs as adults. Instead, they thought that the other gender had to work harder than their own gender to succeed in both math and reading. That is, our example student Eleanor believes that boys need to work harder to do well, whereas David believes that girls have to work harder. These children favored their own group, seeing effortless success in members of their own gender.
Older children, aged 9-12, did not hold the same beliefs—nor did their beliefs match those of adults. Rather, they thought that girls and boys had to put in about the same amount of work to do well in math and reading.
Why might children’s and adults’ beliefs differ? Children’s beliefs are in large part shaped by their conversations and interactions with the people around them. As they grow older, their social circles become bigger, with more opportunities to interact with and pick up stereotypes from different people. Children’s beliefs about effort—for example, that girls must work harder to succeed—therefore may not take hold until their early teens.
What happens when children believe they have to work harder to do well?
In our study, children who believed more strongly that members of their own gender had to work harder to be good at math and reading were less confident in their own math and reading abilities. Among older children, those who believed their own gender had to work harder were also less interested in both math and reading. In short, when children believe others like them need to work harder to achieve success, they are less motivated.
“Caregivers and educators can work to combat the effects of these beliefs and help children feel capable and motivated.”
How to help all children feel capable and motivated in school
Caregivers and educators can work to combat the effects of these beliefs and help children feel capable and motivated. First, they can reflect on the language they use when giving children feedback: Praising children for their ability rather than their effort—for example, calling a child a genius or brilliant—may unintentionally reinforce the counterproductive belief that it’s not good to have to work hard to achieve success. When children are praised for their ability, they are more likely to think they aren’t smart or talented if they struggle in the future. Second, educators and caregivers can normalize making an effort. They can make it clear to children—through conversation, feedback, and rewarded behaviors—that everyone needs to work hard to succeed, and that effort is an effective and universal tool for learning.
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