Teenage Brains, Student Anxiety, and Project-Based Learning

Teaching students that their brains are malleable can impact their motivation and academic performance. According to this American study, all students benefit from understanding and developing the growth mindset, regardless of their socioeconomic status, proficiency in the dominant language, or other types of disadvantage.

This online resource offers a collection of articles related to teenage brain development. Topics covered include behavioural problems, the effect of hormones, and the teenage brain’s increased vulnerability to drug abuse and psychiatric disorders.

A recent research study on teenage brains suggests that they may not be developed well enough to ensure that young people fully understand the high stakes involved in some of their decisions. While teenagers understand the importance of exams, for example, they do not necessarily adjust their behaviour to prioritize exam preparation.

Using a wide variety of student performance measures throughout the school year is likely to offer a much more accurate reflection of student learning than individual year-end exams.

This upcoming Search Institute webinar (December 5, 2017) will explore five essential elements of effective developmental relationships that help young people thrive in school and beyond.

The webinar will offer both research-based insights and practical advice on how to build developmental relationships.

This article offers teachers practical examples of how to promote student autonomy in their classrooms. The authors suggest that, when introduced and modelled well, the strategies can be very effective in helping to equip students with the skills they need to reduce their reliance on direct instruction.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education published a special issue of the Usable Knowledge newsletter focused on the widespread and growing phenomenon of teenage anxiety: “It is burdening schools and counselors, scaring parents, and harming kids, creating dangerous pathways to depression and substance abuse.” The articles in this issue explore how to help students face their fears and challenges, develop resilience, and cope with the often destructive pressure to attain high academic standing.

See also: Social Media and Depression in Teens (Video)

This working paper summarizes key studies on Project-Based learning (PBL) published over the past 17 years. It outlines the key principles of PBL, the various applications of this approach in K-12 settings, implementation challenges, and impact on student learning.