True Story 4.03
American parents reject
instructional methods from abroad
The setting for this story
The principal of an American middle school, Dave Martin, had been studying classroom methods in other societies. Admiring the outcomes of some of these, he mandated group projects for which all students in each group would receive the same grade. In the story below, he relates what happened next.
A story of misaligned minds3
Whammo! In under twenty-four hours I was getting blowback about this! Parents were sending emails, posting on Facebook, calling the school, even showing up in person. They all were vehemently opposed to my plan.
They argued that their children were learning not only reading, math, etc., but also how to succeed in life and, in particular, in college. That meant learning how to get things done on their own without depending on others. They argued with equal or greater fervor that even one lazy or uncooperative group member could depress the grades of all the others, which had implications for college acceptance.
Dave Martin’s question
Why was the parents’ pushback to my group-project idea so adamant?
Critique of story 4.03
It’s likely that Principal Martin had been reading about this type of group project in accounts of instruction from societies guided by communitarian values. In such societies, a group-oriented set of social norms pervades people’s thought and behavior. The shared interest of one’s group (for example, fellow team members on the job or a close circle of friends at school) is prioritized above the particular interest or desires of any group member.
In a communitarian society, individuals avoid any activity that would cause them to appear different from, separate from, better or worse than, or not fully committed to all other members of their group. Research has confirmed that, in communitarian societies, it’s typical for group members to all work hard on their shared project. So such projects would usually have positive outcomes for all the students, and it’s unlikely that parents would complain about them.
The parents who complained to Dave Martin were raising their children within our society’s predominantly individualistic value system, which prioritizes the interests of each separate group member above the shared interest of the group. Individualistic values are inculcated in our children in our homes, schools, and throughout our society. Yes, it’s not unusual for mutually supportive group efforts to occur – athletic teams are the best example – but they rarely result in the same evaluation for all group members. On the contrary, Americans are accustomed to, and even eager to, put the spotlight on the best player on each athletic team and within each league. (So are companies seeking product endorsements!) As the parents in Dave Martin’s school quickly recognized, his plan would mean that even one ornery or sluggish group member could result in a lower grade for every member. Not acceptable to individualistic parents.
For thought
Dave Martin probably admired the cooperation demonstrated by students in communitarian societies, a refreshing contrast to the me-me-me behavior of many children in our individualistic communities. Some parents probably shared this view – but nevertheless couldn’t tolerate a one-grade-for-all scheme. Can you think of any other instructional method that Dave could mandate that would promote harmonious shared effort within groups of students completing an academic project, but not result in an identical grade for all?
Related stories
Stories 4.05, 4.18, and 7.13 also describe Americans shocked by classroom procedures abroad.
Go to Chapter 1 Quick-Links | Return to Chapter 4 Quick-Links | Go to Chapter 7 Quick-Links | Go to Chapter 10 Quick-Links
Endnotes:
3 Ott, 216. In relation to the studies in communitarian societies, Ott cites Segall et al., 211–12.
Full citations are available at misalignedminds.info/References.