Fostering  Academic  Diligence  in  K-­‐12  Education  

 

 “Learning  is  not  attained  by  chance,  it  must  be  sought  for    with  ardor  and  diligence.  ”  

-­‐-­‐  Abigail  Adams    

“The  expectations  of  life  depend  on  diligence;  the  mechanic    that  woudld  perfect  his  work  must  first  sharpen  his  tools.”  

-­‐-­‐  Confucious    

“Diligence  is  the  mother  of  good  luck.”    -­‐-­‐  Benjamin  Franklin  

 

What  is  diligence?  

 

There  is  not  a  unanimous  contemporary  definition  of  the  term  “diligence.”  However,  diligence  may  be  

described  as  the  effort  expended  by  students  to  achieve1.  The  construct  of  diligence  was  studied  in  an  

attempt  to  determine  the  contribution  of  effort  to  student  success  and  was  initially  defined  as  an  

expression  or  reflection  of  effort  extended  by  students  toward  a  balanced  or  holistic  development  of  

their  mental,  physical,  social,  and  spiritual  dimensions  of  life2.  Diligence  is  also  related  to  the  

psychological  constructs  of  conscientiousness3,  effort4,  grit5,  and  persistence6.  Some  of  the  underlying  

psychological  mechanisms  involve  executive  control7  (e.g.,  planning,  keeping  track  of  time,  evaluating  

ideas).  The  theoretical  foundations  of  diligence  include  attribution  theory8,  self-­‐efficacy9.  This  review  is  

mainly  focused  on  academic  diligence  (includes  conscientiousness,  effort,  grit,  and  persistence).  It  

contains  a  brief  summary  of  useful  strategies  and  resources,  dedicated  to  those  K-­‐12  educators  

(teachers,  counselors  and  administrators)  who  want  to  deepen  their  knowledge  about  how  to  promote  

diligence  in  schools.  

 

                                                                                                                         1  See  Bernard  &  Thayer,  1993  2  See  Bernard,  1991  3  See  Colquitt  &  Simmering,  1998;  Richardson  &  Abraham,  2009;  Roberts  et  al.,  2004;  Roberts  et  al.,  2005;  Roberts  et  al.,  2009  4  Trautwein,  2007;  Trautwein  &  Lüdtke,  2006;  Trautwein  &  Lüdtke,  2009  5  Duckworth,  2006;  Duckworth,  2007;  Duckworth  2011  6  See  Ryans,  1939;  Feather,  1962;  Eisenberger,  1992  7  Diamond  &  Lee,  2011  8  Hunter  &  Baker,  1987  9  Bandura,  1986  

 

 

 

What  is  academic  diligence?  

 

Academic  diligence  refers  to  the  effort  put  forth  by  students  to  achieve  and  includes  an  important  group  

of  behaviors  (e.g.,  time  spent  on  homework,  task  completion,  etc.)  necessary  for  students  to  attain  a  

high  level  of  academic  achievement.  

 

Influencing  factors  of  academic  diligence  

 

Research  in  primary,  secondary,  and  higher  education  settings  has  shown  that  academic  diligence  may  

be  associated  with  diverse  factors,  such  as:  

 

• The  school  and  its  environment  

o Educators’  shaping  students’  attitudes  toward  their  academic  responsibilities  

o Engagement  in  purposeful  activities  

o Teacher  quality  improvement  (e.g.,  increasing  confidence  and  self-­‐esteem)  

o Including  all  students  in  its  efforts  to  succeed  (paying  close  attention  to  minorities)  

• The  home  and  family:  

o Parental  affective  support  (i.e.,  praise  and  encouragement)  

o Parents’  expectations    

o Socioeconomic  status  

• Students’  beliefs  and  actions  

o Self-­‐efficacy  

o Locus  of  control  

 

How  can  we  promote  academic  diligence?  

 

An  effort  in  promoting  academic  diligence  must  include  strategies  that  address  contextual  factors  in  the  

learning  environment  and  fundamental  psychological  resources  within  the  student.  These  are  some  

strategies  that  K-­‐12  educators  can  implement  in  order  to  promote  academic  diligence  in  schools10:  

                                                                                                                           10  See  Shechtman  et  al.,  2013  

 

 

• Implement  school  readiness  programs  that  address  executive  functions:  This  approach  includes  

training  with  games,  aerobic  exercise  and  sports,  martial  arts  and  mindfulness  practices,  and  

classroom  curricula  and  teacher  professional  development.    

• Implement  interventions  that  address  mindsets,  learning  strategies,  and  resilience:  Academic  

mindsets  are  the  psycho-­‐social  attitudes  or  beliefs  one  has  about  oneself  in  relation  to  academic  

work.  Positive  mindsets  motivate  students  to  persist  at  schoolwork,  which  manifests  itself  through  

better  academic  behaviors,  which  lead  to  improved  performance.  Effective  learning  strategies  allow  

students  to  leverage  academic  behaviors  to  maximize  learning.  These  include  strategies  to  help  

students  recall  facts;  strategies  for  monitoring  one’s  own  comprehension;  and,  strategies  to  self-­‐

correct  when  one  detects  confusion  or  errors  in  one’s  thinking.  They  can  also  include  goal-­‐setting  

and  time  management.    

• Consider  alternative  school  models  and  school-­‐level  reform  approaches:  Character  education  models  

include  explicit  articulation  of  learning  goals  for  targeted  competencies,  clear  and  regular  

assessment  and  feedback  of  student  progress,  and  intensive  teacher  professional  development.  

Project-­‐based  learning  and  design  thinking  models  help  students  develop  competencies  through  

engagement  in  long-­‐term,  challenging,  and/or  real  world  problems.  Organizations  may  also  be  able  

to  provide  support  for  schoolwide  improvement  (e.g.,  teacher  professional  development,  networks  

of  school  communities,  and  strategies  to  improve  school  organizational  structure).  

• Explore  informal  learning  programs:  These  programs  provide  various  kinds  of  support  for  diligence  

(e.g.,  academic  support,  community  involvement,  college  guidance,  etc.)  

• Utilize  digital  learning  environments,  online  resources,  and  tools  for  educators:  Digital  learning  

environments  can  provide  optimal  challenges,  help  teachers  promote  a  rigorous  and  supportive  

classroom  climate,  teach  about  academic  mindsets,  and  promote  learning  strategies.    

 

Recommended  Web-­‐Sites  /  Blogs  

 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/true-­‐grit-­‐measure-­‐teach-­‐success-­‐vicki-­‐davis  

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/growth-­‐mindset-­‐driving-­‐philosophy-­‐david-­‐hochheiser  

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/focus-­‐process-­‐results-­‐will-­‐follow-­‐nathan-­‐barber  

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended  Books  

 

Tough,  P.  (2012).  How  children  succeed.  London,  UK:  Harper  Collins  Publishers.  

Dweck,  C.  (2006).  Mindset:  The  new  psychology  of  success.  New  York,  NY:  Random  House  Inc.    

Ricci,  M.  C.,  &  Stephens,  J.M.  (2013).  Mindsets  in  the  classroom:  Building  a  culture  of  success  and  student  

achievement  in  schools.  Waco,  TX:  Prufrock  Press  Inc.  

Hoerr,  T.  R.  (2013).  Fostering  grit:  How  do  I  prepare  my  students  for  the  real  world?  Danvers,  MA:  ASCD.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bernard,  H.  .  (1991).  Development  and  application  of  a  diligence-­‐ability  regression  model  for  explaining  

and  predicting  competence  among  juniors  and  seniors  in  selected  Michigan  high  schools.  

Andrews  University,  Berrien  Springs,  MI.      

Bernard,  Hinsdale,  Thayer,  Jerome  D.,  &  Streeter,  Edward  A.  (1993).  Diligence  and  Academic  

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Colquitt,  Jason  A.,  &  Simmering,  Marcia  J.  (1998).  Conscientiousness,  goal  orientation,  and  motivation  to  

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