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Self-control and academic performance: What is the secret behind the story of waiting for a marshmallow?
Academic performance, the extent to which students, teachers, or educational institutions achieve their educational goals, has long been the focus of educational research. Academic achievement is often assessed through examinations or continuous assessments, and although there are different standards in specific presentation, school success and student performance are often considered a microcosm of the effectiveness of the education system.
When studying academic achievement, there are a number of influencing factors that need to be explored urgently. Not only affected by intelligence, character, but also motivation, affect and individual differences. For some students, environmental factors such as finances, family structure and social relationships may be directly associated with high or low academic performance and achievement.
The study found that intelligence test results were significantly positively correlated with academic performance, especially when students were highly self-disciplined and self-motivated.
Many factors affecting academic achievement
Individual differences
In academic achievement, individual differences in intelligence and character have been shown to have a profound impact. For example, some studies suggest that students with higher intelligence typically perform better academically, while students who are known as intentional are more likely to move toward their academic goals. In addition to intelligence, students' sense of self-efficacy, which is their perception of their abilities, also affects their academic achievement to a certain extent.
Parents’ ways of academic socialization affect students’ behaviors and attitudes, which in turn affect their academic performance.
Noncognitive factors
Noncognitive factors, such as academic self-efficacy, self-control and emotional intelligence, are important factors in driving academic success. Research suggests that students with intrinsic drive often outperform their extrinsically motivated counterparts. For example, the level of self-control can directly determine whether a student can resist short-term temptations to pursue long-term learning goals.
Self-control supports students in aligning their personal standards with social expectations, thereby supporting their long-term goal achievement.
Family structure and socioeconomic status
Family structure and socioeconomic status also affect a child’s academic performance. Family support and encouragement can enhance children’s motivation to learn, while family financial pressure can become a stumbling block to academic achievement. Research shows that parents who are more educated in a home environment create more learning opportunities for their children, and conversely, financial constraints limit their children’s learning environment and resources.
Students’ family background has a non-negligible impact on their academic performance, especially improved socioeconomic status, which is often accompanied by better learning opportunities.
Impact of extracurricular activities
Participation in extracurricular activities is often considered a good avenue to promote academic success. Students who participate in physical and cultural activities not only enhance their social skills, but also increase their participation and school retention. Research suggests that active participation in extracurricular activities helps improve academic performance, but this relationship is not always consistent.
Although there is a positive link between extracurricular activities and academic achievement, the specific mechanisms of action need to be explored in depth.
Successful educational actions
For schools, implementing successful educational actions (SEA) can effectively improve academic achievement. These actions improve the academic performance of schools in environments with higher absenteeism and through specific measures to improve the learning environment and learning effects.
In summary, the association between self-control and academic performance shows the importance of delayed gratification. In a well-known marshmallow experiment, researchers found that students tended to perform better later in school if they chose to wait and restrain when faced with temptation. This is not only a test of self-control, but also a test of future achievements.
Faced with these multiple factors affecting academic performance, which one do you think is the most critical in today's educational environment?
