ECT Brownbag: Bernice d’Anjou

High Achievement in Middle School: Is it a Blessing or a Curse for Adolescent Girls and Their Relationship with Themselves as Learners?

When: Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 12 PM - 1PM EST | 370 Jay St Room 522

Zoom Recording

The psychological paradox of high-achievement and low self-belief for high-achieving middle school girls’ has rarely been explored, particularly in how this impacts girls’ sense of self as learners. This dissertation research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the tensions, pressures, and rewards at play (e.g. internal and external rewards, gender norms, etc.) that shape girls’ sense of self, by employing the Listening Guide Method, a feminist qualitative research methodology of psychological inquiry. This talk will present preliminary insights including cultural, psychological, and relational patterns in high-achieving girls, revealing the psychological logic behind their sense of self as learners.

Relevant Publications

d’Anjou, B., Matuk, C., & Gilligan, C. (2024). High Achievement in Middle School: Is it a Blessing or a Curse for Adolescent Girls and Their Relationship with Themselves as Learners?. In Lindgren, R., Asino, T. I., Kyza, E. A., Looi, C. K., Keifert, D. T., & Suárez, E. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2024 (pp. 1478-1481). International Society of the Learning Sciences. https://doi.org/10.22318/icls2024.729318