Students seek information when they are confused or make a mistake to clarify  their gaps in understanding and improving academic achievement. However, few studies have investigated information-seeking among students in different developmental stages and the association with academic success. To fill this gap, Selmeczy and colleagues’ (2021) conducted an experimental study on children and adolescents’ ability to seek information, and how this behavior affects academic achievement.

Selmeczy and colleagues (2021) utilized a problem-solving task in which 194 participants ranging from the ages of 8 and 9 year olds, 11 and 12 year olds, and 16 and 17 year olds completed a selected PERC puzzle (Persistence, Effort, Resilience, and Challenge-Seeking) that ranged in difficulty level. The researchers examined their post-error information-seeking and post-correct information-seeking. Additionally, they gathered the 11 to 12 and 16 to 17-year-old participants’ GPAs to measure their academic performance. To assess a larger sample with greater academic diversity, Selemczy and colleagues replicated the study for ages 13-20 years old.

The researchers found that children of all age groups were more likely to seek information following errors than after correct responses. However, Selmeczy and colleagues found that information-seeking post errors was more prominent in older age groups (11-12 year olds and 16-17 year olds), suggesting that older children seek information in situations where it is more beneficial. Additionally, they found that information-seeking post errors were associated with academic achievement (higher GPA), whereas information-seeking following correct responses was not.

Their findings provide educators with insights into the importance of encouraging students to seek help when they struggle or get a problem wrong, as it fosters self-regulated learning and is positively associated with academic achievement. Moreover, with this, educators can create a supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and clarifying any misunderstandings that may hinder their educational development. In the future, EPIC can explore what factors motivate people to seek information after failing.

If you are interested in reading more about Selmeczy and colleagues' (2021) study, access the full article here:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885201421000575

This post is written by Eliza Hong.

Reference:

Selmeczy, D., Ghetti, S., Zheng, L. R., Porter, T., & Trzesniewski, K. (2021). Help me understand: Adaptive information-seeking predicts academic achievement in school-aged children. Cognitive Development, 59, 101062.