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The effects of educational methods on pupil´s results and socio-emotional abilities: classic vs. modern methods

Prague, January 31, 2018 Empirical studies have repeatedly revealed the importance of children’s socio-emotional abilities for their success at school, in further study, in their future work and in their life more generally. Socio-emotional abilities include among other things self-confidence, internal motivation and self-control. However, those studies only provide sketchy information about how different educational methods in schools contribute to the development of these abilities. In this study we investigate whether and to what extent using certain educational methods more intensively can result in better development of these socio-emotional abilities and improvements in testable study outcomes.

In international comparisons, the Czech Republic is one of the countries with a high usage of classic educational methods, such as lecture style instruction and an emphasis on memorizing facts, and a low usage of more modern methods such as interactive work in small groups and explanation using real examples.

Our findings, using data from 8th grade pupils in the Czech Republic, show that modern teaching methods contribute to the development of socio-emotional abilities and do not have any negative influence on pupils’ results in tested subjects. Classic teaching methods do not develop socio-emotional abilities.

Different teaching methods have different effects on boys and girls. While modern methods develop socio-emotional abilities in both boys and girls, classic methods have a negative effect on boys’ internal motivation and self-confidence. Classic teaching methods thus increase differences between girls and boys.

This study’s findings thus speak in favour of using modern teaching methods more intensively in Czech schools that currently use them rather little. The results also suggest that a partial change in teachers’ chosen approaches (towards greater use of modern rather than classic methods) could have a significant positive impact on their pupils’ socio-emotional abilities.