A peek into The Dunning-Kruger Effect
We are all teachers here, so let’s get real. Picture this:
A learner who doesn’t usually perform well in class tests (let’s call her Z) approaches you on the morning of the mid-term Natural Science exam to say that she has studied hard and thinks she will get 100%!
What’s your first reaction? You’ll probably say, “Wow, well done, Z! Give it your best shot.”
But, seriously, what’s your REAL reaction? You’re probably wondering how on Earth she’d manage that, but smile and motivate her anyway. Right?
Well, it happened to me once with a very spirited young lady who was a little older than her peers. My REAL thought was that she had made a plan to cheat somehow, so I hovered around Z’s desk during that exam, peeping into her test every now and then and realising that she had obviously greatly overestimated her real ability.
There are a variety of factors which could have led her to her mis-perception about her own abilities on the test. Some of these could be that:
- she had studied the wrong sections;
- she hadn’t really studied for as long as she said she had;
- her style of studying was ‘generic’ and not tailored to her own unique needs;
- she was overconfident
After the test, lo and behold, she was fairly confident that she would earn a high mark, although probably not 100% as she had left out a few questions. (The end of the story is that she didn’t do well at all.)
Now, let’s hash this out.
- She obviously hadn’t studied the wrong sections or she wouldn’t have been so positive after her test.
- We are not sure how long she had studied for, only that it was for a longer time than she usually does.
- She is an average learner who attains average marks in other subjects, so we can assume that her style of studying is not the biggest issue here.
That leaves, the over-confidence. Let’s look at it psychologically…
In Psychology, this is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. A quick search on the web will tell you that the Dunning-Kruger Effect refers to a cognitive bias in which people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It is the inability of someone to recognise their lack of ability. Or, according to Charles Darwin, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
What are the causes of Dunning-Kruger Effect?
Think about it – the knowledge and skills required to be good at something are the very same aspects that one requires to know that they are NOT good at something. Thus, a person who lacks knowledge and skill may also lack the awareness of their own inability. In short, they really don’t know that they don’t know.
Is there any way to overcome it?
According to one of the namesakes of this Effect, David Dunning, “We are all engines of misbelief.” This means that we are all disposed to experiencing the Dunning-Kruger Effect, but the thing that keeps most of us realistic and level-headed is learning, practice and experience.
How can teachers help learners like Z?
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Encourage her to keep learning and practising.
Demonstrate how to ‘dig deeper’ about a subject. Once she learns how ‘deep’ the subject matter is, she will recognise how much there is to still learn.
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Peer-review
Encourage learners to test each other, in groups or in a fun class quiz. Listening to other learners’ responses may provide her with valuable insights about her true abilities.
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Ask questions
Encourage Z to ask questions when she isn’t sure about something.
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Study skills
Some subjects require different study methods from others. Teach Z how to study. Learner-training is an important practice that is greatly underutilized in most schools.
Let’s be the teacher we needed when we were younger.
Please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your views on this topic.
All the best,
-Waheeda-
Stay well, inside and out
Waheeda, a.k.a Waydi
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