Teachers Who Motivate by Fear May Lower Exam Scores

Most of us can probably recall a teacher who started off the school-year with a philosophy like this: “Everyone has 100% right now, and it’s up to you to keep it!” Sadly, in my own recollection, such teachers were the exception rather than the rule. It was much more common to hear a litany of the bad things that could result from failure.

While informing students of long-term consequences is not without value, new research shows that teachers who focus on fear as a motivator may actually lower student test scores. Perhaps the accumulated effects of anxiety inhibit learning? Read all about it at Science Daily, and post your own thoughts in the comment section below.