Author Description

This study was designed to examine the effects of a curriculum designed with basic tenets in mind to help students build grit in their academic careers and beyond. The basis for the curriculum was grounded in psychological and motivational theories, such as Attribution Theory, Goal-Setting Theory, Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, and Growth Mindset. In addition, literature for these English students was centered around the themes of grit, perseverance, and determination. Students underwent procedures such as one-on-one conferencing, assessment retakes, goal-setting sheets, and progress monitoring. The intention was for students to understand that their hard work was incentivized while their failures were minimized with proper dedication to the learning. Before and after executing this modified curriculum, students performed tests of academic grit and task perseverance to determine whether the curriculum affected their abilities to persist through difficult tasks, specifically revising and editing their own narrative writing.