[Spa-L] Practicum opportunity for Spring Quarter: Especially for students in the Positive Psychology course

[Mather, Peter]

Practicum
Teaching Resilience: Performance Character and
the Struggling College Student

Purpose: To conduct research into the teaching of psychological resilience and to develop a curriculum for teaching resilience to struggling college students.

Need: Though a selective institution, Ohio University admits many students who struggle academically. Students' academic challenges are not simply a matter of low standardized test scores or poor high school performance, however.  Many students who find themselves on the low end of the GPA scale should, when considering these standard gauges of anticipated success, perform well at the college level. Rather, I maintain, these students lack the skills necessary to redouble and focus their efforts when classes become challenging and they are required to push past perceived boundaries. These students lack educational fortitude. Teaching resilience (or grit) might help these students more successfully navigate the novel requirements of the college classroom, integrate more fully into the life of the university, and experience greater academic success.

Plan: During spring quarter 2011, one practicum student will work with Drs. Lester and Mather to conduct research into teaching resilience and to develop a curriculum that University College staff will pilot with a group of provisionally admitted students in summer 2011.

Hot Tip: Check out "What if the secret to success is failure?" The New
York Times, September 14, 2011.

If Interested: Contact Greg Lester at lesterj at ohio.edu<mailto:lesterj at ohio.edu> or 740.593.1935.



Peter C Mather, PhD
Associate Professor
Coordinator, Higher Education and Student Affairs
Ohio University
313C McCracken Hall
Athens, OH  45701

Ph:  740.593.4454
Fax: 740.593.0477

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