By Barbara R. Blackburn
Have you heard about productive struggle? It’s an emerging buzzword in education, and although it started in the maths classroom, it is moving into all subject areas. Let’s look at what productive struggle is and isn’t, they key dispositions that are critical for productive struggle, and several activities and tasks that foster productive struggle.
Understand What it Isn’t
First, what are the myths about productive struggle that we should avoid?
First, productive struggle only is for the maths classroom. Actually, it is for all subject areas. Next, students don’t need any prior knowledge for productive struggle. Productive struggle builds on prior and current knowledge. Many people believe that students should struggle forever with no support. Instead, teachers should monitor closely and support when the struggle is no longer productive. Fourth, there is no need to plan for productive struggle. Effective productive struggle requires thorough planning. Finally, there are those who believe the harder the struggle, the better. Productive struggle is the sweet spot—not too hard, not to easy. Just right.
Understand What It Is
Next, what exactly is productive struggle? Productive struggle is an opportunity for students to participate in a structured instructional situation in which they adapt current knowledge to solve a novel problem.
There are several key words and phrases in my definition. First is student participation. You simply can’t have productive struggle without students participating in the process. Next, it is a structured instructional situation. Generally, teachers plan and craft the opportunity for students to apply prior knowledge in a new situation at a level which requires the right level of struggle—not too little, not too much. Finally, students are using the knowledge they already have, just to something that is new to them. Connecting the two is an intricate part of productive struggle.
Encourage Dispositions for Productive Struggle
There are five general learning dispositions that students need in a productive struggle classroom. These are based on key sets of characteristics, including those by Ron Ritchart and the Australian Girls in STEM Toolkit. The five learning dispositions are: Curiosity and Creative Thinking, Persistence and Self-Discipline, Strategic Problem-Solving and Metacognition, Risk-Taking, and Integrating Thinking
Let’s look at one in depth: Integrating Thinking. For younger years, you might be studying the Great Barrier Reef, which has various elements: coral, fish, sea turtles, algae, sharks, water temperature, humans. Students are given one element and they draw a picture. Then, all students join together to create an image using all the elements. Next, each student must use string or yarn to connect to two other elements. Finally, students justify the connections they made.
Using the same topic, older students take on roles (marine biologist, fisher, tourism owner, activist, government official) and research the issues related to the reef from their perspective. In mixed groups, students develop a joint action plan that balances environmental and economic needs.
Incorporate Activities and Tasks that Foster Productive Struggle
Finally, the heart of productive struggle is the task or activity students are expected to do, whether in a small group, a pair, or individually. Let’s look at a sample of a challenging activity that supports productive struggle for a variety of school years and subjects, starting with Years One-Six.
Year One: Build a Shelter for an Australian Animal
Students are given an animal (kangaroo, koala, wombat) and an urgent environmental impact such as a bushfire, drought, or flood. They draw or build a shelter that helps the animal survive and explain how the shelter is effective. This is particularly challenging because they are transferring what they know about shelters to a new animal and environmental aspect.
Year Three: Fix the Broken Playground
Students are given a problem with some aspect of the playground (broken swing, slide too slow, etc.). They draw the solution to the problem then justify their solution. By doing so, they are taking their knowledge about playgrounds to a new level.
Years Five-Six: Australian Water Use Challenge
Small groups of students are given a scenario: A rural Australian town has limited water due to drought. In their groups, students determine how water should be allocated (homes, farms, environment). Then, they create a plan for distribution of the water limits and justify their choices. Students must adapt prior knowledge of needs and resources to a limited, real-world constraint.
Now let’s look at samples for Years Seven-Twelve
Math: Linear Equations
Review three linear equations, each of which represent a real-life situation, as well as their solutions. Determine which, if any, of the solved problems are incorrect. If there is an equation that is solved incorrectly, justify why it is incorrect, solve it correctly and explain how you know it is now correct. There are several characteristics of a challenging assignment reflected above. First, students are required to recognize and explain misconceptions, which is an aspect of reasoning as they consider the appropriateness of the solutions to the problems. Next, they must verify the reasonableness of their answers and provide a sound argument in support of their response that elaborates on the real-life situation.
English: Reading and Writing
Choose a controversial issue of interest to you (or from an assigned time period/political platform). Use credible sources to research the various perspectives surrounding the topic. Based on the information learned, explain two or more possible solutions to the controversy that would address the key aspects of the issue. Finally, write a logical argument that contains a proposal/compromise to satisfy groups on both sides of the conflict. In your argument, be sure to explain how you will address the problem and justify your solution with logic and evidence from research. There are several characteristics of a challenging assignment reflected above. First, students are required to evaluate credibility of sources, which is an aspect of reasoning, as they consider the validity and relevance of each source. Next, they must synthesize information from numerous sources and explain possible solutions before developing a compromise that would appease all opposing viewpoints. Finally, they must use evidence from their research to justify their solution and explain how they will accomplish it.
Science: Crop Protection
In groups, students are given a scenario: crops are failing due to heat, pests, or poor soil. Groups must identify the cause the failure, design a solution to the problem, and predict the possible outcomes to the solution. Outcomes should be described from a variety of perspectives, such as from the perspective of a farmer, merchant, or child. Finally, they justify their solution as the best option. There are several characteristics of a challenging assignment. Students are applying their knowledge in a new setting, designing solutions to an issue, and justifying their solution.
A Final Note
Productive struggle is part of your classroom instruction, building a structured task into the flow of learning in a way that students can apply what they know in a new and novel way. Although we have looked at myths, dispositions, and tasks, this only scratches the surface of effective productive struggle in your classroom.
Barbara R. Blackburn, a Top 30 Global Guru in Education, is the author of 40 books, including the new titles Productive Struggle in the K-5 Classroom and Productive Struggle in the 6-12 Classroom. She regularly partners with school internationally.