Today’s Brightest No Match for Those of the Prior Generation

In yet another indictment of today’s youngsters, a recent study in the United Kingdom has revealed today’s brightest do not match the intellect of the top students in the 1970’s. In simplest terms, researchers from King’s College London report that the intellectual level of the brightest 14-year-olds today mirrors the cognitive abilities of the best 12-year-olds in 1976.

It was a disheartening revelation for UK educational experts. These deteriorating achievement levels contrast with a reported increase in the number of pupils achieving top grades on other exams and more students earning first class degrees at the university level.

The Research
The researchers at King’s College London tested 800 of the brightest 13- and 14-year-olds on a number of abstract scientific concepts, terms such as volume, density, quantity and weight. The researchers then compared the results with those based on similar tests taken in 1976.

The critical findings centered on those students who were able to reach the highest levels of achievement. On one particular exam, average scores overall were roughly equivalent to those of 1976. However, only one in ten students met the “higher level of thinking” threshold as compared to one in four students in 1976.

On another test to measure mathematical abilities, only one in 20 of today’s teenagers reached the highest standard level. This was four times lower than the one in five ratio of students obtaining the highest levels in 1976.

Possible Reasons for the Decrease
At least one professor suggested the drop was a result of over-testing practices in schools and teaching procedures designed to ensure students meet basic educational targets. Professor Michael Shayer, the lead researcher for the Kings’ study, suggested the following:

“The moment you introduce targets, people will find the most economical strategies to achieve them. In the case of education, I’m sure this has had an effect on driving schools away from developing higher levels of understanding.”

However, a number of other possible reasons for the decrease were suggested. They ranged from the rise in both television viewing and video game play to the dumbing down of curriculum and poor teaching practices.

One of the more interesting explanations related to the achievement level of boys. One suggestion was that for young males today, the passive viewing of television and the attraction of interactive video games has replaced time spent with tools, gadgets and other mechanical toys.

Yet another related set of explanations came from a report by a Dr. Aric Sigman, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. He linked the decline in intellectual ability to a shift away from the use of art and crafts in both schools and the home. Sigman suggested that such practical activities as building models or playing with blocks served to help develop some of the skills necessary to understand complex concepts like dimension, volume and density.

Contradictory Results
What makes the study so troubling for folks outside of education is the contradictory results of Shayer’s data with that of other tests, particularly the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) and the General Certificate of Secondary Education Exams (GSCE). Many experts insist that such a contradiction likely means that these globally-normed tests have been gradually decreasing their expectations in recent years.

One of the particular concerns relates to what has been referred to as the ‘Pendulum Test.’ That particular test from the Kings College researchers does not require any prior knowledge of science. Instead it focuses on the ability of a student to sort out complex information.

In other words, the test is not about a specific concept that can be taught but about general processes and thinking skills. Strayer insists that time spent drilling for exams has taken away the much-needed time to teach the more advanced skills that would be used to handle an assessment like the ‘Pendulum Test.’

Similarities Here at Home
With the No Child Left Behind Act driving American education, it is interesting to note the similarities emerging. As we seek to raise standards and create a higher floor for education, the time being spent on that endeavor takes time away from other educational elements.

As we consider a reauthorization of NCLB, it is extremely important to note the findings set forth by the Kings College researchers. Raising standards should not result in decreased achievement levels by any sector of the school age population.

Flickr photos courtesy of Su-lin and Shannon K.